A study of the crystallization behavior of a new mold flux used in the casting of transformation-induced-plasticity steels

Transformation-induced-plasticity (TRIP) steels are one of a new generation of steel grades that are under development for use in automotive products. Because of the addition of significant quantities of aluminum to the chemistry of some TRIP steels, one of the challenges in continuous casting is to design a mold flux that is compatible with this steel chemistry and that allows sequence casting. This article documents the solidification behavior of a mold flux that was developed to be more compatible with high-aluminum-containing steels and compares its solidification behavior to a commercial mold flux used in the casting of low-carbon (LC) aluminum-killed steel. This new mold flux precipitates calcium fluoride at high temperatures and does not form a glass at the cooling rates that are normally found in a continuous caster.