Abstract:

Accurate prediction of continuous casting defects is key for cost-efficient processing of new steel grades that meet the needs of modern transportation and energy applications. This presentation will review recent efforts at McMaster University to develop a suite of fundamental models to better understand the solidification of alloy steels, and how alloying elements influence the occurrence of solidification defects. These fundamental models are based on an in-house 3D mesoscale multiphysics model of solidification, fluid-flow, solute transport and deformation, an in-house model for inclusion formation in steels deoxidized by Si and Mn, and an open-foam model examining non-metallic inclusion deposition on the walls of submerged entry nozzles. The research results are useful for alleviating nozzle clogging, centreline segregation, and hot tearing during the continuous casting process. Experimental tools available for model validation, including large-area composition maps acquired at the Canadian Light Source, will also be discussed.

Biography:

Prof. Phillion is a Professor and ArcelorMittal Dofasco Endowed Chair in Ferrous Metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, and former Scientific Director of the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy. His research interests fall at the intersection of industrial-alloy solidification and advanced materials characterization, where he studies how microstructure and defects are influenced by solidification processing conditions. Current projects focus on (1) Green steelmaking/continuous casting; (2) Multi-modal 3D correlative tomography for energy materials development; and (3) Ni-superalloy brazing.