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Effect of Al2O3 Content in Inclusions on the Precipitation of MnS During Cooling of a Heavy Rail Steel

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Abstract

In this study, the effect of Al2O3 fraction in Al2O3–SiO2–MnO system inclusions on the precipitation of MnS in heavy rail steels was investigated using laboratory experiments and thermodynamic calculation. Steel samples containing Al2O3–SiO2–MnO inclusions with the fraction of Al2O3 varying from 26 to 94 pct were prepared in laboratory experiments. The content of total oxygen and soluble aluminum was measured. The morphology and composition of oxide inclusions and MnS were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer. Results showed that Al2O3–SiO2–MnO oxide inclusions could act as heterogeneous nucleation core of MnS. Both the size and composition of Al2O3–SiO2–MnO inclusions had effects on the precipitation of MnS. Reducing the size of Al2O3–SiO2–MnO inclusions had beneficial effects on the heterogeneous nucleation of MnS during the cooling process in the steel. With the reduction of Al2O3 in < 4 μm Al2O3–SiO2–MnO inclusions, the heterogeneous nucleation ability of MnS increased, especially for < 3 μm Al2O3–SiO2–MnO inclusions. The high content of Al2O3 in heavy rail steels led to an increase in the number density of large-sized individual MnS and the detrimental effect on the heterogeneous nucleation of MnS. The MnS solubility in Al2O3–SiO2–MnO–1 pct MgO–2 pct CaO inclusions at 1453 K significantly decreased from higher than 7 pct to less than 0.1 pct. The lattice disregistry between MnS and Al2O3–SiO2–MnO inclusions increased remarkably with the increase of Al2O3 content in the oxide inclusions. The low Al2O3 content was suggested to be controlled to improve the heterogeneous nucleation ability of MnS on Al2O3–SiO2–MnO inclusions and reduce large-sized MnS with great deformability generated during solidification.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U1860206, 51725402), S&T Program of Hebei (Grant Nos. 20311006D, 20591001D), the High Steel Center (HSC) at Yanshan University, Hebei Innovation Center of the Development and Application of High Quality Steel Materials, Hebei International Research Center of Advanced and Intelligent Manufacturing of High Quality Steel Materials.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Beijing, 100083, P.R. China

    Peishu Song & Ying Ren

  2. School of Mechanical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, 066004, P.R. China

    Yaoqiang Li & Qiang Ren

  3. HBIS Group Sales Company, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, 050023, P.R. China

    Yaoqiang Li

  4. School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, 100144, P.R. China

    Lifeng Zhang

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  1. Peishu Song
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Song, P., Li, Y., Ren, Q. et al. Effect of Al2O3 Content in Inclusions on the Precipitation of MnS During Cooling of a Heavy Rail Steel. Metall Mater Trans B 54, 1468–1482 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-023-02773-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-023-02773-w

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