Oxide-Scale Structures Formed on Commercial Hot-Rolled Steel Strip and Their Formation Mechanisms

Abstract

The oxide-scale structure developed on commercial hot-rolled steel strip at the mid-coil position was examined. The initial oxide scale after rolling and cooling on the run-out table had a three-layer (hematite, magnetite, and wustite) structure; the thickness was found to be a function of the finishing temperature. From this initial structure, various final scale structures developed after coiling, depending on the coiling temperature, oxygen availability, and cooling rate. For relatively low coiling temperatures (e.g., at 520°C), the final scale structure comprised an inner magnetite/iron mixture layer, an outer magnetite layer, and, at regions away from the center, a very thin outermost hematite layer. For higher coiling temperatures (e.g., in the range of 610 to 720°C), a two-layer hematite/magnetite structure was observed at the edge regions, whereas at the center regions, these two layers were absent and the entire scale layer comprised a mixture of the wustite-transformation products, i.e., a mixture of proeutectoid magnetite, magnetite+iron eutectoid, and a certain amount of retained wustite. At regions between the edges and the center, the oxide structures were similar to those developed at low coiling temperatures (<570°C), i.e., an inner layer comprising a mixture of the wustite-transformation products, an intermediate magnetite layer and at regions near the edges, an outermost hematite layer. In addition, two distinct structures were observed on strips with a coiling temperature of 720°C. One structure comprised a very thick hematite layer (3–5 μm) formed near the edges (within 10–20 mm from the edges), while the other structure comprised a substantial amount of retained wustite formed at the center regions. The formation mechanisms of various oxide scale structures are discussed.