Investigation on Nozzle Blockage during Continuous Casting of Steel

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Continuous casting of molten steel is one of the most significant technological innovations in the field ofsteelmaking within the last 60 years. However, blockage or clogging of the refractory submerged entry nozzlewhich protects the steel from atmospheric oxidation during transfer processes is a serious problem due to theadverse effects on the casting operation and quality of the cast product. In collaboration with Gerdau Whitby,the proposed study is aimed at characterizing materials deposited on the walls of blocked nozzles, investigatingthe possible sources of these materials, and evaluating the effect of operational parameters on the formation ofclogging. Gerdau is the leading company in the production of long steel specialty products in the Americas andone of the world's major suppliers. Gerdau's North American business divisions serve the construction,automotive, agricultural, real estate and energy markets through a vertically integrated network of steel mills,recycling operations, and downstream processing facilities. The steel plant in Whitby, Ontario is one of threeGerdau mills operating in Canada and employs approximately 500 people. Gerdau Whitby transforms scrapmetal from about 240,000 old cars a year into special steel products including beams and piling, rebar, specialbar and wire rod. The objectives of this project can be defined as follows: 1) Investigate nozzle blockageconstituents using advanced characterization techniques. 2) Relate the results to the inclusions found in steelsamples obtained at different stages during the steelmaking and casting processes. 3) Evaluate the relativeeffectiveness of modifying operational parameters such as steel composition, casting temperature, refractoriesand liquid steel flow, in order to eliminate nozzle blockage problems. The overall aim of the project is togenerate a bank of new knowledge and facilitate technology transfer between academia and the industrial sectorthat will result in improved steelmaking processes, higher quality product and reduced treatment time. Anadditional benefit will be the training of students in metallurgical chemistry and materials characterizationwhich in turn will boost excellence in science and engineering within Canadian-based organizations.