High temperature normalisation: the impact of scale growth on surface cosmetics and performance of carbon steel conveyance tubes

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Background/OverviewTata Steel's low carbon steel conveyance tubes undergo a 900 degree C normalisation to remove an undesirable heat affected zone caused by high frequency induction welding. This reheating however, generates significant surface conditioning issues and instigates severe processing inefficiencies due to insufficient protection from high temperature oxidation.Scale growth on the surface of the tube from normalisation, causes unwanted spallation of subsequent added value coatings compromising Install 235 tube as a high performance, hot formed product. This project aims to improve surface quality and prevent spallation and through delivering a uniform coating, reduce yield loss and failures whilst providing a marketability benefit for conveyance products. This project will combine high temperature furnace replication experiments with advanced imaging techniques to discover the factors influencing scale growth and the effects of novel preventative coatings on surface quality. Techniques include SEM, EDS, XRD, Profilometry, White-Light Interferometry, Advanced Microscopy and Raman Spectroscopy.Project AimsThis project will combine high temperature furnace replication experiments with advanced imaging techniques to discover the factors influencing scale growth and the effects of novel preventative coatings on surface quality. Techniques include SEM, EDS, XRD, Profilometry, White-Light Interferometry, Advanced Microscopy and Raman Spectroscopy.The research engineer will work jointly with TATA Steel (Port Talbot) to investigate how methodologies so developed may be applied to steel slab, used as feedstock for tube production.Aims:- To investigate how the mill processing conditions impact surface quality after normalisation due to scale growth.- To determine suitable methods in which surface quality may be improved, due to alterations in the thermal cycle or through coating solutions prior to reheating.- Develop new techniques and technologies to assess product quality and facilitate methods of improving adhered oxide remnant after descaling.- To analyse scale reduction due to new coating solutions before optimising subsequent preventative solutions for the improvement of surface finish of the Tata conveyance products. - A comprehensive analysis of the causes of surface delamination and the impact of furnace conditions on cosmetic issues due to scale.- Optimisation of current and novel coating solutions to improve the surface quality of the conveyance tubes.- Development of a new and improved application technique to enhance coating performance and provide a high-quality surface finish to the steel tubes.