Mechanism and Kinetics of Thermal Embrittlement of Austenitic Chromium-Nickel Steel during Long-Term High-Temperature Holding

This article describes a model of structural changes in austenitic chromium-nickel steel during long-term thermal soakings. The time for reaching equilibrium content of Cr23C6 carbide at a temperature of 600 °C is calculated. The calculation results are compared with experimental data on the kinetics of thermal embrittlement of steel at a temperature of 600 °C after thermal holding for up to 15000 hours.

THE INFLUENCE OF STIRRER ON THE DRYING OF WHEAT PARTICLES IN A FLUIDIZED BED AT LOW AIR VELOCITY

This study represents an attempt to reduce the drying time of wet grain wheat of the fluidized bed dryer (FBD), using straight blades, and debates the effect of stirrer on the whole drying time at different static bed heights. Experiments for FBD were conducted at the low velocity of air supply (1.45 cm/s) with moisture content for grain wheat 12% and ambient temperature of 37°C for each static bed height (9, 12, and 15 cm). FBD was made from a glass cylindrical column with inside diameter 4.6 cm, outside diameter (5.2 cm) and length (116 cm). The results showed an enhancement of (12- 20.5%) in the total drying time for bed height (9 and 15) cm, respectively. Also, increasing bed height from 9 cm to 15 cm possesses no influence on the equilibrium content of moisture in both techniques of drying either stirred fluidized bed or conventional fluidized bed.

Direct microalloying of steel with cerium under slags of СаО–SiO 2 – Ce2O3– 15 % Al2O3 –8 % MgO system with additional reducing agents

An assessment of the possibility of steel direct microalloying with cerium was performed using thermodynamic modeling of cerium reduction from slags of CaO– SiO2– Ce2O3 system containing 15 % Al2O3 and 8 % МgO, additional additives of reducing agents (aluminum or ferrosilicoaluminium), at temperatures of 1550 and 1650 °C using the HSC 6.1 Chemistry (Outokumpu) software package. Depending on the additional additives of aluminum or ferroglycoaluminium, metal temperature, slag basicity and content of cerium oxide, 0.228 to 40.5 ppm of cerium transfers into the metal. With an additional additive of aluminum from slag (Y1) containing 1.0 % of cerium oxide, 0.228 ppm of cerium is transferred to the metal at 1550 °C. An increase in the system temperature to 1650 °C is accompanied by a slight increase in cerium content, reaching no more than 0.323 ppm. When added to ferrosilicoaluminium metal, cerium content in the metal is higher and amounts to 0.402 and 0.566 ppm at 1550 and 1650 °C, respectively. When concentration of cerium oxide in the slag (Y2) increases to 7.0 %, more signifcant increase in cerium content in the metal is observed, reaching in temperature range of 1550 – 1650 °C, 1.65 – 2.31 ppm with aluminum additives and 2.90 – 4.05 ppm with ferrosilicoaluminium additives. The most noticeable increase in cerium content in the metal is observed with an increase in slag basicity. During formation of slags with basicity of 2 – 3, containing 1 – 7 % Ce2O3, the equilibrium concentration of cerium in the metal varies from 0.5 to 4 ppm with aluminum additives and 1 – 7 ppm with ferro­silicoaluminium additives at 1550 °C. Slags transfer to the increased (up to 3 – 5) basicity is accompanied by an increase in the equilibrium content of cerium in the metal to 4 – 12 ppm with aluminum additives and 7 – 20 ppm with ferrosilicoaluminium additives at Ce2O3 content of 3 – 7 % and, as a result, an increase in efciency of cerium reduction process.

Effect of Basicity and Boron Oxide in Slags of the AOD Process on the Equilibrium Interphase Distribution of Sulfur and Boron

The use of fluorspar in modern metallurgical slags, incl. slags of the argon-oxygen decarburization (AOD) process, as a fluxing agent, is associated with many disadvantages. Those disadvantages can be solved by using boron oxide as an alternative, which also provides conditions for direct microalloying of steel with boron. The paper presents the results of thermodynamic modeling of the effect of basicity and boron oxide content in slags of the CaO–SiO2–B2O3–Cr2O3–Al2O3–MgO system on the equilibrium interphase distribution of sulfur and boron, and their equilibrium content in the metal. Modeling was carried out using the HSC 8.03 Chemistry software package (Outokumpu). Slag from the desulfurization period of the AOD-process was used as the oxide phase. As a result, it was shown that, in the range of basicities 2.0-2.5 and a content of 2-4% B2O3, it is possible to carry out desulfurization of the metal, providing a sulfur content of 0.001-0.007%, and simultaneous microalloying of steel with boron in an amount of up to 0.0103%.

Equilibrium content of lanthanum in metal under the slag of СаО – SiO2 – La2O3 – 15 % Al2O3 – 8 % MgO system

Thermodynamic modeling results of lanthanum equilibrium content in metal under the slag of CaO – SiO2 – La2О3 – Al2O3 – MgO system corresponding to chemical composition of 16 points of local simplex plan are presented using the HSC 8.03 Chemistry (Outokumpu) software package in combination with the simplex planning lattice method. In the work, slag is represented by CaO – SiO2 – La2O3 – – 15 % Al2O3 – 8 % MgO oxide system in a wide range of chemical composition for temperatures of 1550 and 1650 °C, and metal contains 0.06 % C, 0.25 % Si, 0.05 % Al (in this expression and hereinafter in mass.%). The results of mathematical modeling are shown graphically in the form of composition - equilibrium content diagrams of lanthanum. There is significant effect of slag basicity on the lanthanum equilibrium content in metal. An increase in slag basicity from 2 to 5 at temperature of 1550 °C leads to an increase in the lanthanum equilibrium content from 0.2 ppm in the region of lanthanum oxide concentration of 1 – 5 % to 7 ppm in the region of increased concentration of lanthanum oxide to 4 – 7 %, hence the increase in slag basicity favorably affects development of lanthanum reduction. Increase in metal temperature also has positive effect on lanthanum reduction process. As temperature rises to 1650 °C, the lanthanum equilibrium content in metal increases from 0.2 ppm in the region of lanthanum oxide concentration of 1 – 3 % to 12 ppm in the region of increased concentration of lanthanum oxide to 4 – 7 %. In diagrams of chemical composition of slag containing 56 – 61 % CaO, 12 – 14 % SiO2 and 4 – 7 % La2O3 , the lanthanum content in metal at level of 7 – 12 ppm is ensured in temperature range from 1550 to 1650 °C. Therefore, there can be confirmed a decisive role of slag basicity, concentration of lanthanum oxide and temperature factor in development of lanthanum reduction from slags of the studied oxide system by aluminum dissolved in metal.

Plotting the equilibrium cerium content in metal under the slag of the CaO-SiO2-Ce2O3-15%Al2O3-8%MgO system

Using the HSC 6.1 Chemistry (Outokumpu) software package in combination with simplex-lattice planning, we performed thermodynamic modeling of the equilibrium cerium content in a metal containing 0.06% C, 0.25 Si, 0.05% Al (in this expression and further on the text indicates mass%), under the slag of the CaO – SiO2 – Ce2O3 – 15% Al2O3 – 8% MgO system in a wide range of chemical composition at temperatures of 1550 °C and 1650 °C. For each temperature, adequate mathematical models have been obtained in the form of a reduced polynomial of degree III, describing the equilibrium content of cerium in the metal depending on the composition of the slag. The results of mathematical modeling are presented graphically in the form of diagrams of the composition – the equilibrium content of cerium. A marked effect of slag basicity on the distribution of cerium is noted. An increase in slag basicity from 2 to 5 at a temperature of 1550 °C leads to an increase in the equilibrium cerium content in the metal from 0.1 to 7 ppm, i.e. the increase in slag basicity favorably affects the development of cerium recovery process. An increase in metal temperature has a positive effect on cerium recovery. As the temperature rises to 1650 °C, the equilibrium cerium content in the metal increases on average from 0.3 to 10 ppm. In the diagrams of the chemical composition of slags containing 56-61% CaO, 12-14% SiO2 and 15% Al2O3 in the temperature range of 1550 and 1650 °C, we can expect a concentration of cerium in the metal at a level of 7-10 ppm at a content of 4% to 7% Ce2O3 in the original slag. The positive effect of the basicity of the formed slag in the studied range of chemical composition on the cerium reduction process is explained from the standpoint of the phase composition of the slag and the thermodynamics of cerium reduction reactions.

Microstructural Evolution in a 9%Cr-3%Co-3%W-VNb Steel during Creep

Microstructural evolution in a 9Cr-3Co-3W-0.2V-0.06Nb-0.05N-0.005B steel crept at T=650°C under an applied stress of 140 MPa up to strains of 1, 3, 5.75 and 12%, which represent primary, secondary and tertiary creep stages and rupture, respectively, was studied. The steel was initially normalized from 1050°C, and finally tempered at 750°C for 3h. After tempering the boundaries of tempered martensite lath structure (TMLS) were decorated by M23C6 carbides, M6C carbides and Laves phase particles. The 3% W additives provide the narrow size distribution of the boundary particles excepting M6C carbides. The depletion of thermodynamically none-equilibrium content of W from the solid solution during creep leads to following events. (i) Continuous precipitation of small Laves phase particles occurs during all creep stages and results in the formation of bimodal size distribution. As a result, the average size of Laves phase particles remains unchanged during creep. (ii) Coarsening of M23C6 carbides starts to occur only at the transition to tertiary creep. (iii) Transformation of laths to subgrains followed by their growth is observed during all stages of creep. The density of particle located at lath/subgrain boundaries decreases from 5.6 to 2.6 μm-1 during creep up to rupture. However, no full transformation of TMLS into subgrain structure has been revealed.