Steel Casting II

NANO-TECH.REFRACTORIES-7 APPLICATION OF NANO STRUCTURED MATRIX TO SN PLATES

Hirokatsu Hattanda, Tomohiro Yotabun, Tomohiro Tsuda * TYK CORPORATION 3-1 Obata-cho, Tajimi City, Gifu Pref, 507-8607 Japan Tsunemi Ochiai, Shinichi Tamura Nano-Tech. Refractories Institute, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan

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1. ABSTRACT On the Continuous Casting of molten steel, SN plates refractories play an important role to perform flow control of molten steel. Therefore, it is necessary for SN plates to have strong resistance to thermal shock resistance, chemical corrosion and oxidation. In order to improve them, we tried to form nano structured matrix in the texture of SN plates. As that is also applicable to AG SN plate, we tried to form nano structured matrix in the texture. The result of examination is as follow.

2. DEVELOPMENT OF NANO STRUCTURED MATRIX OF SN PLATES Table 1 shows the characteristics of MgO-C and AG SN plates which are developed by applying nano structured matrix. In the concept of nano structured matrix, we tried to apply HB (Hybrid Binder) in which nano carbon particles were dispersed uniformly and HHB (High performance Hybrid Binder) in which the compound graphitized black with B4C was added. In other way, we also tried to apply HGB (Hybrid Graphitized Binder) compounded graphitized black with B4C to conventional AG SN plate as powders.

Table 1 Characteristic of Nano Structured Matrix of SN plates

Speci men Magnesia Alumina Normal carbon black Carbon nano particle HGB Resin binder Normal resin HHB HB
3 2 1

Conv. MgO-C 90.0 3.0 5.0 12.1 3.0 7.1 94.2

No.1 90.0 3.0 -

No.2 90.0 3.0 -

No.3 90.0 3.0 -

Conv. AG 94.0 2.5 4.0

No.4 94.0 2.0 0.5 4.0 11.7 3.3 16.9 150.0

No.5 94.0 1.5 1.0 4.0 12.0 3.3 13.9 125.6

5.0 11.4 3.0 9.3 104.7

2.0 3.0 11.6 3.0 8.6 97.2

5.0 11.8 3.0 7.4 91.9

11.9 3.3 16.3 151.0

Apparent porosity(%) Bulk density Bending strength(MPa) Crushing strength(MPa)

1) Hybrid Graphite Black(HGB):Compound graphitized black in which B4C is added to an appropriate amount. [1] [2] 2) High performance Hybrid Binder(HHB):Binder in which an appropriate amount of HGB is suspended.[3] [6] 3) Hybrid Binder(HB):Dual phase binder in which an appropriate amount of carbon black is suspended.[1]

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3.

PROPERTIES OF NANO STRUCTERED MATRIX OF MgO-C SN PLATES

3-1 Thermal shock resistance The measuring method is as follows. All specimens were dipped into molten iron at 1,550 for 60 sec. and then quenched in air for 30 min. And a Young's modulus was measured after dipping test. These "heating-quenching" cycles were repeated up to 4 times. However, it was difficult to measure Young's modulus after 2 heats for some specimens. Figure1, Figure2 and Figure3 show the result of thermal shock resistance by dipping method.

About MgO-C SN plate, we could not measure the modulus of elasticity of conventional MgO-C and specimen No.1 after second heats. However, we could measure the modulus of elasticity of specimen No.2 and specimen No.3 up to 3rd and 4th heats. It is considered that the thermal shock resistance is improved by dispersing carbon nano particles in the matrix uniformly. About AG SN plate, the initial modulus of elasticity of specimen No.4 and specimen No.5 is lower than of the conventional AG. Especially, the fluctuation of modulus of elasticity of specimen No.4, which contains 0.5% of HGB, is small. Therefore, it is concluded that the thermal shock resistance of AG SN plate is improved as well as MgO-C SN plate.
Conv. AG

Conv. MgO-C

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No.4 No.5

No.1

No.2

No.3

Cross section

Heats

Fig.1 Cross section of specimens after 4 heats into molten iron at 1,550

Fig.2 Relation between heats and modulus of elasticity about MgO-C SN plate

Fig.3 Relation between heats and modulus of elasticity about AG SN plate 3-2 OXIDATION RESISTANCE

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The measuring method is as follows. All specimens were oxidized at 1,400 in air for 1 hour by electric furnace. A weight loss of the specimens was measured. Then the cross section of specimen was observed and measured the thickness of the oxidation layer. About AG SN plate after oxidation, a weight loss was measured by blasting with SiC grains. Figure4 and Figure5 show the result of these tests. The oxidation thickness and the decarbonized depth decrease about specimen No.1, specimen No.2 and specimen No.3 of MgO-C SN plate, compared with conventional MgO-C SN plate. Especially, specimen No.1 and specimen No.2 show high oxidation resistance. It is considered that the oxidation is controlled by dispersed B4C in the nano structured matrix.

The oxidation thickness and the decarbonized depth decrease about specimen No.4 and specimen No.5 of AG SN plate compared with conventional AG SN plate. Especially, No.5 shows high oxidation resistance. It is considered that the amount of HGB has an effect on the oxidation resistance. The decarbonized depth of specimen No.4 and specimen No.5 decreases in the wearing test by shot blasting with SiC compared with conventional AG SN plate. Especially, specimen No.4 with 5% addition of HGB shows high wearing resistance. It is considered that the wearing resistance is improved by homogeneous dispersion of carbon nano particles in the nano structured matrix.

Conv. MgO-C
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No.1

No.2

No.3

Conv. AG

No.4

No.5

Cross section
Decarbonized depth/mm Weight loss/%

2.0 0.95
Fig.4

1.0 0.46

1.1 0.59

1.5 0.78

0.9 0.69
in air

0.8 0.67

0.9 0.61

Cross section after oxidation test at 1,400

Conv.AG outside
Weight loss/%

No.4

No.5

0.88

0.53

0.71

Fig.5

Outside view after wear test by blasting with SiC grains

3-3 Thermal conductivity Figure6 and Figure7 show the result of thermal conductivity at Room Temperature. The thermal conductivities of specimen No.1, specimen No.2 and specimen No.3 are lower than conventional MgO-C SN plate. About AG SN plate, the thermal conductivity of specimen No.4 is lower than conventional AG SN plate. Specimen No.1, specimen No.2, specimen No.3 and specimen No.4 show not only high thermal shock resistance but also low thermal conductivity

compared with conventional SN plates. These examples, in which nano structured matrix was applied, show high thermal shock resistance and low thermal conductivity. Although conventionally high thermal shock resistance has an ambivalent relation with low thermal conductivity, application of nano structured matrix shows innovative direction of refractories development. This new direction should be evaluated and further study is carried out energetically.

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Fig.6

Thermal conductivity of MgO-C SN plate measured at RT

Fig.7

Thermal conductivity of AG SN plate measured at RT

4. SUMMARY 4.1 Compared with conventional MgO-C SN plate, the thermal shock resistance is improved about 1 or 2 heats by using of HB. 4.2 Compared with conventional MgO-C SN plate, the oxidation resistance is improved by using HHB. 4.3 Thermal conductivity of developed MgO-C SN plate with nano structured matrix is lower than conventional MgO-C SN plate. These specimens show high thermal shock resistance too, then innovative refractories with ambivalent characteristics are studied in more details. 4.4 Compared with conventional AG SN plate, the initial modulus of elasticity becomes lower by using HGB containing B4C. Especially, the fluctuation of modulus of elasticity becomes small by using HGB of 0.5%. 4.5 Compared with conventional AG SN plate, the oxidation resistance is improved by using HGB. Especially, the addition of 0.5% of HGB shows high wear resistance. It is considered that the wear resistance is improved by homogeneous dispersion of carbon nano particles in the nano structured matrix. 4.6 About AG SN plate, the application of carbon nano particles with 0.5% of HGB shows comparatively low thermal conductivity compared with the conventional one.

REFERENCES [1] Shinichi Tamura, Tsunemi Ochiai, Shigeyuki Takanaga, Taka-aki Kanai, Hiroshi Nakamura, Proceedings of UNITECR 2003,22-B5(2003) [2] Shigeyuki Takanaga, Tsunemi Ochiai, Shinichi Tamura, Taka-aki Kanai, Hiroshi Nakamura, Proceedings of UNITECR 2003, 22-B6(2003) [3] Yusuke Shiratani, Tomohiro Yotabun,, Hideaki Mizuno, Tsunemi Ochiai, Shinichi Tamura, Proceedings of UNITECR 2005, SR-53(2005) [4] Shigeyuki Takanaga,Yoji Fujiwara, Manabu Hatta, Tsunemi Ochiai, Shinichi Tamura, Proceedings of UNITECR2005,SR-12(2005) [5]M.Ohyanagi, T.Hiwatashi, M.Koizumi,Z. A. Munir: Proceedings of 1st Russian-Japanese Workshop on SHS, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, Oct.30-Nov.3,65-69(1998)
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