As most continuous casters used curved moulds, the as-cast strand must have sufficient hot ductility to survive the straightening operation without cracking. The influence of composition on the tendency for surface crack propagation to occur on straightening of concast strand of a commercial C—Mn-Nb-Al grade of steel, has been examined and compared with the hot ductility behaviour as measured by Gleeble tensile tests. Samples of steel with a nominal base composition of 0.15% C, 1.4% Mn, 0.03% Nb, 0.005 % N but having soluble A1 in the range < 0.01-0.07 % and P in the range 0.01-0.03 % have been solution treated to 1330 °C, cooled to test temperature and strained to fracture in the temperature range 1000-700 °C. The percentage reduction in area passed through a minimum in the temperature range 750-800 °C. Of the elements examined, soluble A1 was found to be the most deleterious to ductility for test temperatures above 850 °C. The niobium addition tended to reduce hot ductility most significantly for temperatures below 850 °C. Phosphorus, surprisingly, was found to have a small beneficial effect on hot ductility.
The Effect of Strain Aging on Threshold Value for Surface Crack : Propagation of S45C Round Bar in Rotatory Bending