Speaker
Description
The critical shortage of fly ash has driven a multistage transition in carbon fluxes for ingot casting: moving from traditional formulations, to fly ash free versions and finally to fully synthetic alternatives. While these alternatives aim for chemical equivalence, they exhibit fundamentally divergent melting kinetics and thermophysical properties. This study analyses the operational issues encountered in the casting phase, focusing on how the change in raw material matrix has triggered instabilities, with a subsequent impact on both the surface integrity and macro-cleanliness of the ingots.
The current industrial framework demands a paradigm shift in the steel plant - supplier relationship; manufacturers must move beyond mere chemical specification compliance toward active co-engineering of flux performance. Current production scenario shows a significant qualitative regression compared to historical benchmarks. Current traditional powders no fly ash based, give extremely irregular surfaces and a critical frequency of powder entrapment. Conversely new synthetic solutions do not yet guarantee results equivalent to the past.
This paper documents a comprehensive optimization period focused on recalibrating specific consumption rates and flux positioning strategies, Furthermore, all the surrounding variables are analysed inherent to ingot casting. Findings demonstrate that the adoption of synthetic fluxes is not a "drop-in" replacement but an unresolved metallurgical challenge. The identification of a stabilized equilibrium remains a work in progress, requiring rigorous, continuous monitoring to mitigate material-specific limitations and restore process stability.
| Speaker Company/University | Acciaierie Bertoli Safau |
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