Calcium Wire Ladle Treatment to Improve Cleanliness of Centrifugally Cast Steel

Centrifugal casting provides the unique opportunity of combining improved melt refining techniques with large centrifugal forces and directional solidification during casting to reduce the non-metallic inclusions in the final product. In this paper, the effects of calcium wire injection on the number, size, composition and morphology of non-metallic inclusions in centrifugally cast products are evaluated. Calcium-bearing wire was fed into the liquid steel in the ladle prior to centrifugal casting. Samples were collected throughout the steelmaking and casting processes starting at argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) and continuing through the centrifugally cast product. Samples were analyzed on the Aspex PICA 1020 for quantitative inclusion analysis. The effects of calcium treatment combined with centrifugal casting on inclusions and mechanical properties are discussed.