AP13268863 – «Investigation of the Deoxidizing Ability of a New Complex Deoxidizer in the Smelting of Semikilled and Killed Steel Grades»

The production of complex alloys requires the use of new types of raw materials and materials, and the maximum use of all its components makes it possible to process technogenic substandard raw materials and to develop low and waste-free technologies for producing ferroalloys.

The proposed technology for producing new alloys based on Fe-Si-Mn-Al is based on the use of high-ash coal, which is not used in the power industry because of the high ash content and substandard high-silica and ferromanganese ores, unsuitable for the production of standard grades of manganese ferroalloys.

Complex alloys based on Fe-Si-Mn-Al will have a number of advantages over standard ferroalloys. The advantages of complex deoxidizers are especially clearly manifested in the kinetics of the deoxidation process and the purification of metal from deoxidation products. The processed metal will contain the least amount of non-metallic inclusions.

The use of substandard manganese-containing ores for complex alloys is economically profitable than the enrichment and processing of manganese raw materials for the smelting of manganese ferroalloys.

The proposed solution will make it possible to obtain high-quality steel by means of its effective deoxidation and maximum removal of non-metallic inclusions with a complex master alloy, as well as to significantly reduce traditional ferroalloys and pig aluminum and reduce the cost of production by saving energy resources, without losing quality.

1) Zhuniskaliyev Talgat – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), senior researcher at the Department of Science, Innovation and International Cooperation, project manager.

Scopus ID: 57218196497  

Researcher ID: AAG-6131-2021  

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9757-0605

2) Nurumgaliyev Assylbek – Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science, domestic scientific consultant.

Scopus ID: 10042501900 

Researcher ID: AAF-9195-2021 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8782-9975

3) Zayakin Oleg – Doctor of Technical Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Steel and Ferroalloys of the Institute of Metallurgy of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, foreign scientific consultant (Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation).

Scopus ID: 6603292402  

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9831-1993

Following the results of the implementation of the scientific and (or) scientific and technical project, 3 (three) articles will be published in peer-reviewed scientific publications in the scientific direction of the project, indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded database of Web of Science and (or) having a CiteScore percentile in the Scopus database of at least 35 (thirty-five) and 1 (one) articles in a domestic publication in the field of metallurgy recommended by CCFES (control committee in the field of education and science) or equivalent publications with the participation of at least 50% of the members of the research group.

Based on the results of scientific research, a monograph on the theory and technology of obtaining complex ligatures will be published.

The possibilities of patenting the results obtained in a foreign, Kazakh or Eurasian patent office are not considered.

Based on the results of scientific research, a technological instruction for obtaining a complex ligature from high-ash coals and manganese ore and technological regulations for deoxidation of semi-calm and calm steels with a complex ligature will be developed.

The results of scientific research will be disseminated at international conferences, symposiums, various international technology exhibitions, by publishing articles in peer-reviewed scientific publications on the scientific direction of the project and domestic publications in the field of metallurgy, recommended by CCFES or equivalent publications.

The target consumers of the new complex alloy will be the converter shop of JSC «Qarmet», the molding and foundry shop of LLP «KurylysMet», LLP «Qaz Carbon», LLP «KSP-Steel» and other steelmaking plants of Kazakhstan, near and far abroad.

The research has a perfect novelty and prospects in terms of improving the technological process of deoxidation of steels. At the same time, there may be a separate stage in the technological chain of production aimed at obtaining complex ligatures from manganese-containing ores and high-ash coals. As a result of the project, manganese ores will be involved not only large and medium-sized, but also small deposits of substandard manganese, ferromanganese and high-silicon ores and high-ash coals not used for energy purposes.

The test results will be edited, a package of documents (technological instructions for obtaining a complex ligature and technological regulations for the deoxidation of semi-calm and calm steels with a complex ligature) will be transferred directly to production organizations, including with the financier, and recommendations for the introduction of deoxidation technology with Fe-Si-Mn-Al complex ligatures will be issued.

The social and economic effect of the project implementation will be significant when new enterprises are opened, the work of which will be aimed at the production of complex Fe-Si-Mn-Al ligatures, as well as when developing small deposits of manganese ores and increasing demand for high-ash coals previously used only in the national economic industry. The ecological effect of the project is expected from the use of substandard manganese ores processed earlier lying in dumps and high-ash coals, where all elements will be involved in the production of complex ligature. The scientific and technical efficiency of the project corresponds to the national project “Technological breakthrough through digitalization, science and innovation” and is aimed at developing the production of high-quality steels in the metallurgical and machine-building industries of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In the implementation of the project, modern software systems such as HSC Chemistry and Thermo-Calc will be used, which will significantly reduce the number of experiments required for the development of obtaining and applying a new complex alloy and deoxidation of steel. HSC Chemistry allows you to simulate the process of obtaining a complex ligature under optimal conditions without additional energy consumption and reduce material-intensive experimental studies, and Thermo-Calc can help in the preliminary selection of test conditions, allowing you to better target experiments to obtain the necessary data.

1) The influence of traditional deoxidizers on the properties of mild and semi-mild steel grades and on the content of non-metallic inclusions was studied. The composition of non-metallic inclusions was determined using energy dispersive analysis and is represented by silicates of complex composition (based on silicon, aluminum) and aluminate (corundum) of simple composition (based on aluminum) and silicate of simple composition (based on silicon). The microstructure of calm and semi-quiet steel grades before and after deoxidation of ferrite and Widmanstätt, respectively, was determined in accordance with GOST 5639-82. According to thermodynamic data, it has been established that during complex deoxidation of a metal melt, the activity of the oxides formed because of the deoxidation process with different deoxidizers is less than unity, i.e. with the same content of the deoxidizer element, a metal with a lower oxygen concentration can be obtained. With complex deoxidation, deoxidation products melt at lower temperatures than pure oxides, this makes it possible to coagulate them and more completely remove them from the steel melt.

2) Test samples were received from ArcelorMittal Temirtau JSC and have the following composition: 3sp – before deoxidation 0.04 C; 0.03 Mn; 0.010P; 0.019 S; 0.01 Cr; 0.02 Ni; 0.04 Cu, and after deoxidation 0.015 C; 0.041 Mn; 0.022 S; 0.012P; 0.020 Si; 0.013 Al. 08ps – until deoxidation 0.05 C; 0.05 Mn; 0.007P; 0.018 S; 0.01 Cr; 0.02 Ni; 0.03 Cu, and after deoxidation 0.04 C; 0.34 Mn; 0.023 S; 0.009P; 0.098 Si; 0.025 Al. It was established that in the sample samples before deoxidation No. 1 and 3 there are non-metallic particles – silicates and aluminates, undeformed, point 5 (fifth) points, and in the sample samples after deoxidation No. 2 and 4 – below 2 (second) points on the GOST 1778- scale 70. The size of non-metallic inclusions in samples No. 1 and 3 is below 6.1 µm, and in samples No. 2 and 4 – below 1.9 µm.

3) Experimental samples of the deoxidizer were obtained in ore-thermal furnaces using manganese ores and high-ash coals, and were also obtained by alloying from ferromanganese, ferrosilicon and pig aluminum. The development of prototype alloys with varied chemical compositions based on different ratios of manganese, silicon and aluminum represents an innovative approach in materials science and metallurgy. An in-depth analysis of the influence of each element (Mn, Si, Al) on the physical and metallurgical properties of the alloy, such as hardness, density, melting point and corrosion resistance, is of significant scientific interest. The work demonstrates how precise control of chemical composition can be used to optimize key material properties, which has important practical implications for the production and application of alloys in various industries, including steel deoxidation.

4) Test samples were obtained from manganese ores and high-ash coals, as well as by alloying using ferromanganese, ferrosilicon and pig aluminum. Sample No. 1-1: Mn – 48.80%; Si – 31.15%; Al – 10.30% and the rest. Fe, P, S, C. Sample No. 1-2: Mn – 20.30%; Si – 37.79%; Al – 12.85% and the rest. Fe, P, S, C. Sample No. 2-1: Mn – 33.97%; Si – 35.70%; Al – 11.67% and the rest. Fe, S, C. Sample No. 2-2: Mn – 41.02%; Si – 30.56%; Al – 10.24% and the rest. Fe, S, C. Sample No. 2-3: Mn – 47.12%; Si – 29.15%; Al – 7.93% and the rest. Fe, S, C. Sample No. 2-4: Mn – 48.06%; Si – 27.09%; Al – 11.24% and the rest. Fe, S, C. Sample No. 2-5: Mn – 35.95%; Si – 33.87%; Al – 7.93% and the rest. Fe, S, C.