INCLUSION & Its Impact

What is an Inclusion ?
 Inclusions are non metallic particles embedded in the steel matrix.
 Second Phase particle present in the matrix i.e. they are mismatch with steel matrix hence
disrupt the homogeneity of structure

Impact of inclusion in steel

Inclusions hampers the properties of steel
Ductility is appreciably decreased by increasing amounts of either oxides or sulphide
Fracture toughness decreases when inclusions are present in higher-strength lower-ductility
alloys
Property degradation from inclusions is observed in tests that reflect slow, rapid, or cyclic
strain rates, such as creep, impact, and fatigue testing
Large exogenous inclusions may cause trouble in the form of inferior surface, poor polish
ability, reduced resistance to corrosion, & In some cases leads to slag lines and laminations.
Inclusions. which have thermal expansion greater than steel matrix. On heating steel with
these types of inclusions voids or parting of the matrix can occur. The void can act as cracks.

Impact of inclusion deformation on Void Formation

Properties of inclusion :
Thermal Expansion : Inclusions like MnS, Ca S, etc. which have thermal expansion greater than steel
matrix. On heating steel with these types of inclusions voids or parting of the matrix can occur. The void can
act as cracks. On the other hand Al2O3, SiO2 and CaO.Al2O3, etc inclusions have thermal expansion smaller
than steel matrix. On heating steels with these type of inclusions internal stresses can develop.
Density & Melting Point :

Steel 1540 7.86

Plastic deformability : The plastic deformability of an inclusion will govern any change in its shape under the
action of external forces and will determine the amplitude of stress concentration . Acc to Kieslling
 What is Clean Steel ?
It is necessary to define a limiting size below which inclusion does not affect mechanical
property W.r.t its application
In Our Case Example is as Listed
304 L 9 % Ni NFC Order Ingot : Max Allowed inclusion Size for D type 13µm
321H Witzermann Order :

Typical steel cleanliness requirements reported for various steel grades

 Classification of Inclusion
1.
Micro Inclusion : Inclusion Size 1-100 µm

On basis of inclusion Size

Macro Inclusion : Inclusion Size >100 µm

2.

Indigenous : Deoxidation Product or Precipitated

inclusion during Cooling & solidification of steel
On Basis of source of
Origin
Exogenous: Exogenous inclusions arise primarily
from the incidental chemical (reoxidation) and
mechanical interaction of liquid steel with its
surroundings (slag entrainment and erosion of
lining refractory).
 Categorization of Inclusions Under Microscope
Inclusions are divided into 4 Category as per ASTM E45 which is method for determination of
inclusion in steel. Categories are as mentioned

Note: Sulphide & Silicate Inclusions are similar in appearance but different in colour
A type appears Light Grey While C type appears Black under bright field.
B type is also Known as stinger type

These are rated on basis of Size & Number of inclusions

 Morphology of inclusions Before & after rolling

A: Ductile Sulphides
B: Stringer formation from inclusion cluster
C: Brittle stringer formation of silicates
D: Unreformed inclusions
 Source of Inclusions

Sources of inclusion

Exogenous Endogenous

Re Oxidation from Top slag Coagulation of Micro inclusion

Refractory Material formed as a deoxidation product
Sands used in Slide gate & Mould of Al, Si, Ca & REM
System
Indigenous Inclusions
 Deoxidation Product :Alumina (Al2O3) inclusions in LCAK steel, and silica (SiO2) inclusions
in Si-killed steel are generated by the reaction between the dissolved oxygen and the added
aluminum and silicon deoxidants are typical deoxidation inclusions.


Agglomeration of round silica Inclusion

SEM Images of Clustered Alumina Inclusion & coral like Alumina

Precipitated inclusions : They form during cooling and solidification of the steel During
cooling, the concentration of dissolved oxygen/nitrogen/sulfur in the liquid becomes larger
while the solubility of those elements decreases. Thus inclusions such as alumina), silica, AlN,
and sulphide precipitate.
Exogenous Inclusion :
Exogenous inclusions from reoxidation : The most common form of large macro-inclusions from reoxidation found in steel. Air is the most common source of
reoxidation
a) Molten steel in the tundish mixes with air from its top surface at the start of pouring due to the strong turbulence.
b) Air is sucked into the molten steel at the joints between the ladle and the tundish, and between the tundish and the mold
c) Air penetrates into the steel from the top surface of the steel in the ladle, tundish, and mold during pouring
Actions to avoid reoxidation
 Controlling gas injection in the ladle to avoid eye formation. In our case its very important to determine purge pressure & flow rate of argon where no open eye forms.
 Arcing & additions after VD Treatment leads to breaking of top layer & air contact which leads to reoxidation & should be avoided provision should be made to
transfer the heats directly from VD to CCS instead of brining it back to LRF
 Purging some gas into the tundish before pouring, and into the tundish surface during pouring
 Shrouding by inert gas curtain utilizing a steel ring manifold or porous refractory ring around the connections between the ladle and the tundish, and between the
tundish and the mold
Exogenous inclusions from slag entrainment: Any steelmaking or transfer operations involving turbulent mixing of slag and metal, especially during
transfer between vessels, produces slag particles suspended in the steel. Slag inclusions, 10-300 µm in size, contain large amounts of CaO or MgO
Reasons for Slag Entrainment can be as follows
- At the end of the tapping stream, the vortex created can suck the slag into the liquid metal
- Small droplets of slag that might be left in the ladle after the cleaning process has taken place might find their way in the next liquid steel
poured into that same ladle
- Emulsification and slag entrainment at the top surface especially under gas stirring above a critical gas flow rate
- Turbulence at the meniscus in the mold
- Slag properties such as such as interfacial tension and slag viscosity
- Mould Flux entrainment due to different reasons is as listed

1. Turbulence at Meniscus
2. Vortexing
3. Emulsification induced by bubbles moving
from the steel to the slag
4. Sucking in along the nozzle wall due to
pressure difference
5. High velocity flow that shears slag from the
surface
Exogenous inclusions from erosion/corrosion of lining refractory
• Erosion of refractoies, including well block sand, loose dirt, broken refractory brickwork and ceramic lining particles, is a very common
source of large exogenous inclusions
• Two different mechanisms that may be responsible for the removal of the aggregates from the refractory are dissolution and erosion.
When the resin and the carbon in the refractory are attacked by a corrosive steel grade, they dissolve and the Al2O3-MgO aggregates
become susceptible to erosion. (Traces of Sio2 may also be detected in these inclusions since most ladle refractories contain SiO2 to
improve their strength)
• Lining erosion generally occurs at areas of turbulent flow, especially when combined with reoxidation, high pouring temperatures, and
chemical reactions
• Corrosive oxides like FeO that are formed during reoxidation and deoxidation, attaches themselves to the refractory walls and then
attack the binders and the oxides in the refractory. By so doing the aggregates in the refractory becomes loose and dislodge into the
metal bath
• Carbon and the binders in the refractory are attacked by corrosive steel grades which may contain high amounts of Manganese and
other deoxidants.
• In case of ingot casting The runner and trumpet lining are two places where erosion is most dominant in steel
production due to the rushing molten metal through these channels
• The ladle wall linings are also liable to this phenomenon due to high stirring rate in the ladle.
• Excessive contact or filling time and high temperature worsen erosion problems. During long holding period in the ladle, the
larger inclusions can float out into the ladle slag. However the longer the steel is in contact with the ladle lining, the more
tendency there will be for ladle erosion products.
Inclusions Associated with the Casting System
a) Casting Powder :
 The casting powder is used to cover the surface of the liquid steel in the mold during casting. This is done to prevent reoxidation at the
surface of the liquid steel inside the mold and also to lubricate the mold surface in contact with the liquid steel .The turbulence from
the entering liquid metal mixes and traps the casting powder into the flow and as a result macro m inclusions .
 The most noticeable oxides are Na2O, K2O, TiO2 and sometimes Li2O depending on the type of powder being used.[8] These oxides
are rare in the steel making process and the casting powder provides a potential avenue for them to enter the steel
 Mold fluxes not melting homogenously tend to have several phases with areas of high melting and low viscosity oxides, which are
available for entrapment. Mold fluxes during strand start-up do not immediately supply the necessary liquid layer essential for
lubrication, and consist of a combination of dry powder, semi-molten and molten flux instead. This combination is readily entrapped in
the first slab
b) Runner & Trumpet for Ingot Casting :
 The main purpose of the trumpet and runner is to direct the molten metal safely into the mold in order to cast the ingots. The velocity
of the hot liquid steel running through these refractories is high and this is also accompanied by high turbulence in the flow. The surface
of the refractories in contact with the flow therefore becomes susceptible to various erosion mechanisms. Surface imperfections such
as pores, loose sand and cracks serve as catalyst to the removal of exogenous materials into the main stream
 The refractories used for the trumpet and runner systems are characterized by high Al2O3 (40- 60%) and SiO2 (20-50%) with Small
concentrations of TiO2, FeO and other oxides may be present as well.
 Macro inclusions from these refractories therefore have high concentrations of Al2O3 and SiO2 with little traces of the other oxides.
C) Olivine Sand and Tap Hole Sand (Sliding Gate Sand):
 Olivine sand with composition 45-49%MgO, 40-41%SiO2 and 7%Fe2O3 are mostly poured around the refractory bricks to help with the
insulation and also to keep them in position. This sand has fine particles and therefore is very loose in nature. The possibility of the sand
to find its way into the holes in between the runners and trumpet is very high.
 The sliding gate at the bottom of the ladle sometimes becomes difficult to open due to the elevated temperatures in the ladle. The
taping sand is therefore used to insulate the gate from the metal bath. This sand mostly has high SiO2(>50%) and Cr2O3 (≈20%) with
some Al2O3 and FeO.
 Macro inclusions from this sand can be differentiated from that of Olivine sand by its high Cr2O3 content.
 With better cleaning systems, macro inclusions from these sources are preventable.
 •
Impact of Inclusion on final Quality
Inclusions causing flange cracks in drawing are typically of 50-150 µm in size, and are CaO-Al2O3 in compositions The
main source of these inclusions is continuous casting tundish-slag, which is spattered into the molten steel during ladle
changing
• Sliver defect on cold rolled sheet Line defects appear on the surface of finished strip product, with several tens of
micrometers to millimeter width and as long as 0.1-1 meter. This surface defect is believed to result from nonmetallic
inclusions caught near the surface of the slab ( <15mm from slab surface). This defect is also called slivers

Slivers in cold rolled sheet in our case defect is majorly observed in H slab of 300 series
• Pencil Pipe : Pencil pipe defect called pencil blister defects on the finished product 136) is a tubular
shape surface defect, with a smooth slightly raised surface, typically ~1mm wide and 150-300mm long.
It is formed when when an entrapped bubble elongated into a gas pocket expands

In our case defect is majorly observed in blade steel

 Examples of SEM Studies for Source Evaluation
We will try to present how the prediction of Source is done through SEM

Inclusion from casting Powder

The quantitative analysis of spectrum 7 shows that the composition of the macro
inclusion is 41.72% SiO2, 24.87%Al2O3, 13.5%FeO, 11.56%Na2O, 1.33%K2O, 2.89% CaO
and small amounts of other oxides

Na & K in Spectrum ascertain its occurrence from casting powder

 Inclusion from Nozzle filling Sand & olivine Sand
Olivine Sand: This poured around the refractory bricks in ingot casting to help with
the insulation and also to keep them in position.

The quantitative analysis from spectrum 7 showed 36.53% MgO, 37.29% SiO2 and 24.15% FeO with small traces of Cr2O3 and MnO (which
might come from the matrix). This composition is very close to that of the olivine sand which is mainly 47.9%MgO, 44.4%SiO2 and 7%FeO
which ascertain its source.

Nozzle filling Sand

Nozzle filling sand is characterized by High Cr2O3 in then spectrum
Reoxidation
Reoxidation of Fe, Cr and Al due to exposure to oxygen, this might happen when oxygen passes
through the matrix from an opened crack at the surface.

Spectrum shows major component as 33.55% Cr2O3, 17.08% Al2O3, 48.34%FeO

Reoxidation
Reoxidation of Fe, Cr and Al due to exposure to oxygen, this might happen when oxygen passes
through the matrix from an opened crack at the surface.

Spectrum shows major component as 33.55% Cr2O3, 17.08% Al2O3, 48.34%FeO

 Parameter
Improvement Scope
Issue Currently in JSHL Proposed

Deeper & Higher capacity tundish will increase the

Tundish size is very small specially at bloom caster so
Tundish Size Low Tundish size Residence time & will provide sufficient time for inclusion
inclusion does not enough time to get absorbed/float
to float out

Tundish flow modifier like weir & Dam are not used Flow modifier should be used in casting of special grades
Tundish Furniture Not Used
in tundish to minimize turbulence in the tundish

No / Minimal inclusion
High Alumina/ Sio2 based tundish covering powder Basic Flux with High Cao & Mgo content should be used
Tundish Top Slag absorption by tundish
is being used it has low inclusion absorbing capacity which has better inclusion absorption capacity
Flux

Chocking in Ti & Some times arcing is done after Ti addition leading to

Chocking ACT sequence of addition to be followed
aluminum Bearing grade Ti oxidation & incorrect sequence of addition

After addition of deoxidizer at LRF sufficient time for Sufficient time for flotation of Inclusions formed as
Gentle puging Insufficent purging time
floatation is not available due to time constrain deoxidation product is must