Modeling of solidification process during continuous casting process of plain carbon steel

Abstract

In the present study, Cellular automata based Microstructure modelling techniques are implemented in order to develop a solidifications model for predicting the microstructure formed during continuous casting of plain carbon steel. The Cellular automata model is operated by computationally solving various equations which are governing the solidification process during continuous casting of plain carbon steel. The simulation model actually depicts the concentration profile and temperature profile of the plain carbon steel dynamically the solidification process. The diffusion equations are implement for this study are based on Fick’s law of diffusion and these equations are discretized using finite difference method. The temperature profile and concentration profile have been evaluated by using heat transfer model and subsequently performed solidification model. Various process variables, curvature rules were applied to simulate the process. The model successfully predicts the final grain microstructure obtained after the secondary cooling stage in continuous casting of plain carbon steel. Final microstructure shows the equiaxed grains and columnar grains formed during the solidification. The time temperature profiles for standard cooling and impulse cooling are also studied.