Abstract

The aim of this work was to derive new quality criteria based on steel composition and cooling pattern for continuous casting and for the subsequent cooling and reheating processes. The criteria were devised based on the outputs of multiphysics simulation tools for casting applications. The criteria were found to be good predictors of whether a steel grade combined with a given cooling pattern is prone to a specific defect. The criteria are useful in providing a theoretical justification as to why certain defects form or would form, and can be used for devising practical solutions to avoid them. In practice, the final determination of whether a defect will form depends on the cumulative impact of various single quality criteria combined with the models/data describing the developing mechanical and thermal stresses. In this paper, new quality criteria are proposed for different kinds of cracking-related and gas defects along with case examples.