On the way to save metal during the steel ingot casting process

This article analyzes ways to reduce metal usage in steel ingot casting. Factors related to the need to use an additional metal volume in the upper part of the ingot and quantitative data on metal consumption for additives are presented. The heat balance of the solidifying additive is analyzed, and conclusions are drawn regarding the need to keep the additive in the liquid state as long as possible. Based on literature data, two ways of potential improvement of the thermal performance of additives are indicated, which can reduce their volume. The first is to maximize the use of heat contained in the liquid metal of the application. The second is to increase the heat content of the melt in the application using external sources. The methods of heat application to the metal of the application are considered: electric arc, induction, gas-oxygen, electro-slag, and others. Experiments on casting steel ingots with a reduced additional part under conditions of its electric arc heating are substantiated and the conditions of experiments are described. Based on the experimental data, the experimental and control ingot's metal solidification curves were plotted. It is shown that under the conditions of electric arc heating, even a halved additive provides a longer solidification time for the experimental ingot compared to the control one. It has also been established that electric arc heating of the additive provides an increase in the density of the metal of the head part and a decrease in the sulfur liquidation inside the ingot. It is concluded that electric arc heating of the metal of an additional part of the ingot can reduce its volume by half without degrading the density and homogeneity of the ingot metal. This has positive technical, economic, and environmental impacts