SUPERSLAB: Novel Uni-directional Casting Technology for Manufacturing Super Extra-thick Offshore Steel Plate

该项目旨在开发一种变革性技术，用于生产超厚、更高强度的超厚钢，满足英国、中国和欧洲使用行业对离岸风能、石油、可再生能源和其他厚板日益增长的需求。这些材料是为了满足这些不断增长的行业的基础设施发展需求，以确保21世纪的能源需求。在满足对更厚、更高强度材料的需求方面存在一些问题。最厚的板材所需的性能要求从最初至少厚四倍的铸坯轧制。由于凝固的性质，增加强度所需的合金有向中心线偏析的趋势。在传统的铸造产品中，这可能被困在该点上。这限制了更高强度、更厚材料的发展，限制了铸造工艺，限制了生产率，并要求更大、更坚固的铸造机，这很难实现经济上的合理性。目前，英国或中国都没有供应商能够满足这一需求，欧洲最厚的板坯铸件厚度被限制在400 mm。该项目将开发一种基于定向凝固的新铸造技术，该技术将克服中心偏析问题，为高强度钢板在质量和厚度方面的阶梯变化开辟道路。通过这样做，它还将为两国的生产商和机器制造商提供机会，以开发这一不断增长的新市场。

The project aims to develop a transformational technology for the production of extra thick and higher strength 'SUPERSLAB' steels required for the growing needs of the off-shore wind, oil, renewable energy and other thick plate using sectors in the UK, China and Europe. These materials are required to meet the requirement for infrastructure development in these growing sectors, to secure the energy needs of the 21st century. There are problems in meeting the need for the thicker, higher strength materials envisaged. The required properties for the thickest plates require rolling from cast slab initially at least four times thicker. Due to the nature of solidification, there is a tendency for the alloys required for increasing strength to segregate towards the centreline. In conventionally cast product this may be trapped at that point. This limits development of higher strength, thicker material and constrains the casting process limiting production rate and requiring significantly bigger, stronger casting machines for which economic justification is difficult. No supplier in the UK or China is currently capable of addressing this need and the thickest slab cast in Europe is limited to 400mm. This project will develop a new casting technology based upon unidirectional solidification which will overcome the issue of centre segregation, opening the way to a step change in both quality and thickness for high strength plate. In doing so it will also open opportunities for producers and machine builders in both countries to develop this growing new market.