Thermo-Calc Modelling of as-cast Features and Its Influence on Final Mechanical Properties

The development of new steel grades with high added value is of strategic importance for Tata Steel in Europe to maintain and improve market share. This development is largely focused on the chemical steel composition as well as the process route from the hot rolling stage onward, as these define the required properties of the final product that is delivered to the customer. However, a production chain is as strong as its weakest link. A new product must be cast in a controlled and efficient way and the product quality must not be deteriorated by the casting process.

When casting new steel grades, many issues can arise regarding castability and product quality, of which the most important ones can be clustered in two groups: cracking issues and segregation issues. Finding the optimum casting parameters by trial and error takes a long time and increases the time to market, or even could hamper a successful and commercially viable market introduction. In recent years, the use of thermodynamic and computational models has led to a significant improvement in insight in caster performance and product quality. In this presentation, an overview of Tata Steel’s approach using Thermo-Calc and the Diffusion Module (DICTRA), through internal expertise and external collaborations will be shown.

This webinar is part of our Expert User Series, which invites experts from industry and academia to present their work with Thermo-Calc products.