Continuous casting mould powder evaluation

A continuous casting mould powder must satisfy various requirements including thermal insulation, chemical insulation, inclusion absorption, lubrication, and promotion of uniform heat transfer from the solidifying steel strand to the copper mould. The relative importance of these properties varies according to the type of steel cast, the prevailing casting conditions, and the end steel requirements. Development of mould powders at Corus UK Ltd involves plant based trials of different powders whose properties influence the above characteristics of which heat transfer is a major consideration. Particular use is made of mould thermal monitoring which, although primarily designed for sticker breakout detection, is now finding increasing use as an investigative tool in mould slag assessment. Both static and dynamic plant data are now available relating mould slag heat transfer performance to casting conditions and this paper describes some recent investigative work carried out by the Aluminium & Steel Casting Department of Teesside Technology Centre, Corus UK Ltd. The study shows that using a combination of plant based observation and laboratory analysis, a greater depth in understanding of mould powder performance can be realised, yielding important information for future powder development.