New method for improving physical homogeneity of steel ingots
The problem of physical homogeneity of ingots has been a subject of study for several centuries and remains unresolved. The ingots have axial porosity and cavities that form during the metal solidification process. A new method for controlling the ingot crystallization process by applying a combined external effect is proposed that of heating the top of the ingot, combined with stirring the liquid metal in the inner middle part of the ingot during its solidification. The results from physical and mathematical modeling confirm the ability of increasing the physical homogeneity of ingots. Research of ingots, which had a height-to-diameter ratio of 2.1…2.5 and a taper of 3-5%, showed that the ingots were free of gross defects of shrinkage origin, and they had reduced axial porosity. The proposed method may be a promising one for increasing the physical homogeneity of large steel ingots.