US2168561A - Treating molten iron and steel with addition agents - Google Patents

Treating molten iron and steel with addition agents Download PDF

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Publication number
US2168561A
US2168561A US201933A US20193338A US2168561A US 2168561 A US2168561 A US 2168561A US 201933 A US201933 A US 201933A US 20193338 A US20193338 A US 20193338A US 2168561 A US2168561 A US 2168561A
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United States
Prior art keywords
steel
iron
treating molten
addition agent
silicon
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Expired - Lifetime
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US201933A
Inventor
James H Critchett
Crafts Walter
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ELECTRO METALLURG CO
ELECTRO METALLURGICAL Co
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ELECTRO METALLURG CO
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Priority to US201931A priority Critical patent/US2221781A/en
Priority to US201933A priority patent/US2168561A/en
Priority to US242325A priority patent/US2269407A/en
Priority to US243324A priority patent/US2221783A/en
Priority to GB6368/39A priority patent/GB525706A/en
Priority to FR853100D priority patent/FR853100A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2168561A publication Critical patent/US2168561A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21CPROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C21C1/00Refining of pig-iron; Cast iron
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21CPROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C21C7/00Treating molten ferrous alloys, e.g. steel, not covered by groups C21C1/00 - C21C5/00
    • C21C7/0006Adding metallic additives
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21CPROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C21C7/00Treating molten ferrous alloys, e.g. steel, not covered by groups C21C1/00 - C21C5/00
    • C21C7/04Removing impurities by adding a treating agent
    • C21C7/06Deoxidising, e.g. killing
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C35/00Master alloys for iron or steel
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C35/00Master alloys for iron or steel
    • C22C35/005Master alloys for iron or steel based on iron, e.g. ferro-alloys

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the treatment of molten iron and steel to promote a fine grain structure and freedom from deleterious impurities.
  • Aluminum additions in the amounts, for the purposes, and in the manner described above, tend to produce a steel containing deleterious types and quantities of non-metallic inclusions. It has been proposed to substitute for the aluminum other agents, such as vanadium, zirconium, or titanium, but none of these elements is entirely satisfactory. Vanadium is usually too expensive to add in an amount sufficient to produce the desired results, and zirconium and titanium as heretofore used tend to produce a steel containing numerous objectionable impurities.
  • a steel that is substantially free from deleterious gaseous or solid non-metallic impurities and that has improved mechanical properties (including improved impact strength)- and excellent fine grain characteristics is produced by adding to the steel while it is molten in the ladle or otherwise shortly'before casting, an addition agent containing 25% to 85% (preferably to 55%) of silicon, iron; and at least 3% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, co-
  • the total amount of the elements selected from the group herein described is preferably at least 10% of the composition of the addition agent. If the number of elements in said mixture is only two, the preferred maximum total amount is 25% of the composition of the addition agent; and if such number is three, said preferred maximum total amount is 30%. Iron is present as an impurity or diluent unavoidably introduced in providing an economical and commercially practicable material, and should not exceed about 65%.
  • the constituents of the addition agent are preferably prealloyed in the form of a master alloy; but they may be unalloyed or only partially alloyed, and used in the form of a briquet of comminuted material. Also, some of the constituents thereof may suitably be in the form of easily reducible or decomposable compounds such as nitrides, nitrates or mixtures thereof. .1 It is essential, however, that the constituents be closely associated, because successive additions of the several constituents separately to the steel do not yield the improved results of the invention. 10
  • we 5 prefer to add to the molten steel being treated a sufficient amount of the addition agent of the invention that the silicon content of the steel is increased by about 0.25%.
  • the deoxidizing or grain refining power may be controlled and 20 varied by adding more or less than enough material to increase the silicon content of the steels by about 0.25%, or alternatively, the concentration of silicon relative to the other constituents of the addition agent may be'varied. If less 25 grain refinement is required, part of the silicon required for deoxidizing may be added as the agent of the invention and part as ordinary ferrosilicon, and if more grain refinement is required, the action of the addition agent may be 30 supplemented by an addition of aluminum or other grain refiner.
  • the desired composition may be added to the steel in any .well known manner, for example, in the furnace, in the ladle, or in the molten 5 stream during pouring.
  • an agent containing less than about 50% iron should ordinarilybe used in order to minimize the chilling effect of the iron. 40 If the agent is added to the steel in the furnace, the iron content of the agent may be greater than 50%.
  • grain size refers to austenitic or inherent grain size determined by the McQuaid-Ehn carburizing test conducted at a temperature of 925 C. for 8 hours, 50 as defined by the A. S. T. M. specification E 19-33.
  • the degree of grain refinement or deoxidation of the-steel per unit of addition agent added will vary, not only with the combination of elements selected, but also with the type of steel being 55 treated, so that the total amount of agent to be added to the steel for best results must be determined by trial. Ordinarily, this total'amount of agent will be less than 5%, and most frequently less than 1%.
  • the addition agents of this invention are especially useful in the treatment of steels which are to be hot worked, the invention is also applicable to the treatment of steels which are to be employed as castings. Used for the latter purpose, it has been found that, in many instances, the characteristics of the casting may be improved if the material of the invention is added in an amount which is sufllcient to deoxidize the metal, yet is insufllclent to develop harmful inclusions.
  • Steels treated according to the invention are sound, substantially free from excessive non-metallic inclusions, and possess improved ductility and shock resistance. Further, the few inclusions distributed throughout such steels are more uniform than diverse, that is, the majority of the inclusions are of the same general type. Undesirable groups or galaxies of inclusions which usually accompany any deoxidizing treatment that produces small grain size are not noticeable in the steels deoxidized in accordance with the invention until a higher degree of grain refinement is attained than that attainable by the addition of aluminum alone.
  • a method of treating molten ferrous metal which comprises adding a small but effective amount less than 1% of said metal of an addition agent consisting of 25% to 85% silicon, iron, and at least 3% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum.
  • a method of treating molten ferrous metal which comprises adding an efiective amount less than 1% of said metal of an addition agent consisting of 25% to 85% silicon, iron, and 3% to 20% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum.
  • a method of treating molten ferrous metal which comprises adding an eifective amount less than 1% of said metal of an addition agent containing 35% to 55% silicon; 3% to 20% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum, the sum of the elements of said group being at least and not more than 30%; and the remainder iron.
  • a method of treating molten ferrous metal which comprises adding an effective amount less than 1% of said metal of an addition agent containing 35% to 55% silicon; 3% to of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum; and the remainder iron.
  • a composition of matter suitable for use as an addition agent for treating molten ferrous metal, consisting of to 85% silicon, iron, and at least 3% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum.
  • a composition of matter for use as an addition agent for treating molten ferrous metal containing 25% to 65% silicon, 3% to 20% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum, and the remainder iron.
  • An addition agent for treating molten ferrous metal containing 35% to 55% silicon, 3% to 20% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum, the sum of the elements of said groups being at .least 10% and not more than and the remainder iron.
  • An addition agent for treating molten ferrous metal containing to 55% silicon, 3% to 20% of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum, and the remainder iron.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Steel In Its Molten State (AREA)
  • Refinement Of Pig-Iron, Manufacture Of Cast Iron, And Steel Manufacture Other Than In Revolving Furnaces (AREA)

Description

@atented Aug. 8,, i939 UNETE STAT PTENT FIFEQ TREATING MOILTIEN IRON AND STEEL WK'EH ADDH'HIQN AGENTS West Virginia No Drawing. Application April 14,1938, Serial No. 201,933
8 Claims. (Cl. 75-58) The invention relates to the treatment of molten iron and steel to promote a fine grain structure and freedom from deleterious impurities.
During manufacture, steels become contaminated with certain oxides and occluded gases, which, if not substantially removed or rendered innocuous, detrimentally affect the soundness and physical properties of the finished steel. To
overcome the deleterious effects of such impuri- 10 ties, an addition of ferrosilicon or ferromanganese, or both, as deoxidizers, is usually made to the steel shortly before casting into ingots or other shapes. For further deoxidation, and to provide an inherently fine grainedsteel having inhibited grain growth tendencies at elevated temperatures, a later addition of aluminum is often made to the molten steel.
Aluminum additions, in the amounts, for the purposes, and in the manner described above, tend to produce a steel containing deleterious types and quantities of non-metallic inclusions. It has been proposed to substitute for the aluminum other agents, such as vanadium, zirconium, or titanium, but none of these elements is entirely satisfactory. Vanadium is usually too expensive to add in an amount sufficient to produce the desired results, and zirconium and titanium as heretofore used tend to produce a steel containing numerous objectionable impurities. According to the present invention, a steel that is substantially free from deleterious gaseous or solid non-metallic impurities and that has improved mechanical properties (including improved impact strength)- and excellent fine grain characteristics is produced by adding to the steel while it is molten in the ladle or otherwise shortly'before casting, an addition agent containing 25% to 85% (preferably to 55%) of silicon, iron; and at least 3% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, co-
lumbium, and tantalum. The total amount of the elements selected from the group herein described is preferably at least 10% of the composition of the addition agent. If the number of elements in said mixture is only two, the preferred maximum total amount is 25% of the composition of the addition agent; and if such number is three, said preferred maximum total amount is 30%. Iron is present as an impurity or diluent unavoidably introduced in providing an economical and commercially practicable material, and should not exceed about 65%.
The constituents of the addition agent are preferably prealloyed in the form of a master alloy; but they may be unalloyed or only partially alloyed, and used in the form of a briquet of comminuted material. Also, some of the constituents thereof may suitably be in the form of easily reducible or decomposable compounds such as nitrides, nitrates or mixtures thereof. .1 It is essential, however, that the constituents be closely associated, because successive additions of the several constituents separately to the steel do not yield the improved results of the invention. 10
In general, the more complex the addition agent, that is, the greater the number of deoxidizing ingredients, selected from the above group, the better the results.
In practicing the process of the invention, we 5 prefer to add to the molten steel being treated a sufficient amount of the addition agent of the invention that the silicon content of the steel is increased by about 0.25%. .The deoxidizing or grain refining power may be controlled and 20 varied by adding more or less than enough material to increase the silicon content of the steels by about 0.25%, or alternatively, the concentration of silicon relative to the other constituents of the addition agent may be'varied. If less 25 grain refinement is required, part of the silicon required for deoxidizing may be added as the agent of the invention and part as ordinary ferrosilicon, and if more grain refinement is required, the action of the addition agent may be 30 supplemented by an addition of aluminum or other grain refiner.
The desired composition may be added to the steel in any .well known manner, for example, in the furnace, in the ladle, or in the molten 5 stream during pouring. When adding the addition agent to the steel either in the ladle or in the molten stream, an agent containing less than about 50% iron should ordinarilybe used in order to minimize the chilling effect of the iron. 40 If the agent is added to the steel in the furnace, the iron content of the agent may be greater than 50%.
Byproper selection of elements, a grain size of No. 6 or No. '7 may readily be procured in steels 45 treated according to a method of the invention. Throughout the present specification, grain size" refers to austenitic or inherent grain size determined by the McQuaid-Ehn carburizing test conducted at a temperature of 925 C. for 8 hours, 50 as defined by the A. S. T. M. specification E 19-33. The degree of grain refinement or deoxidation of the-steel per unit of addition agent added will vary, not only with the combination of elements selected, but also with the type of steel being 55 treated, so that the total amount of agent to be added to the steel for best results must be determined by trial. Ordinarily, this total'amount of agent will be less than 5%, and most frequently less than 1%.
While the addition agents of this invention are especially useful in the treatment of steels which are to be hot worked, the invention is also applicable to the treatment of steels which are to be employed as castings. Used for the latter purpose, it has been found that, in many instances, the characteristics of the casting may be improved if the material of the invention is added in an amount which is sufllcient to deoxidize the metal, yet is insufllclent to develop harmful inclusions.
Steels treated according to the invention are sound, substantially free from excessive non-metallic inclusions, and possess improved ductility and shock resistance. Further, the few inclusions distributed throughout such steels are more uniform than diverse, that is, the majority of the inclusions are of the same general type. Undesirable groups or galaxies of inclusions which usually accompany any deoxidizing treatment that produces small grain size are not noticeable in the steels deoxidized in accordance with the invention until a higher degree of grain refinement is attained than that attainable by the addition of aluminum alone.
We claim:
1. A method of treating molten ferrous metal which comprises adding a small but effective amount less than 1% of said metal of an addition agent consisting of 25% to 85% silicon, iron, and at least 3% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum.
2. A method of treating molten ferrous metal which comprises adding an efiective amount less than 1% of said metal of an addition agent consisting of 25% to 85% silicon, iron, and 3% to 20% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum.
3. A method of treating molten ferrous metal which comprises adding an eifective amount less than 1% of said metal of an addition agent containing 35% to 55% silicon; 3% to 20% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum, the sum of the elements of said group being at least and not more than 30%; and the remainder iron.
4. A method of treating molten ferrous metal which comprises adding an effective amount less than 1% of said metal of an addition agent containing 35% to 55% silicon; 3% to of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum; and the remainder iron.
5. A composition of matter, suitable for use as an addition agent for treating molten ferrous metal, consisting of to 85% silicon, iron, and at least 3% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum.
6. A composition of matter for use as an addition agent for treating molten ferrous metal, containing 25% to 65% silicon, 3% to 20% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum, and the remainder iron.
7. An addition agent for treating molten ferrous metal, containing 35% to 55% silicon, 3% to 20% of each of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum, the sum of the elements of said groups being at .least 10% and not more than and the remainder iron.
8. An addition agent for treating molten ferrous metal, containing to 55% silicon, 3% to 20% of at least two elements selected from the group vanadium, columbium, and tantalum, and the remainder iron.
JAMES H. CRITCHE'I'I. WALTER CRAFTS.
US201933A 1938-04-14 1938-04-14 Treating molten iron and steel with addition agents Expired - Lifetime US2168561A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201931A US2221781A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-04-14 Addition agent and its use in the treatment of iron and steel
US201933A US2168561A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-04-14 Treating molten iron and steel with addition agents
US242325A US2269407A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-12-01 Addition agent and its use in the treatment of iron and steel
US243324A US2221783A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-12-01 Addition agent and its use
GB6368/39A GB525706A (en) 1938-04-14 1939-02-27 Improvements in treating molten iron or steel and addition agents therefor
FR853100D FR853100A (en) 1938-04-14 1939-04-14 Adding agent for molten ferrous metal

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201931A US2221781A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-04-14 Addition agent and its use in the treatment of iron and steel
US201933A US2168561A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-04-14 Treating molten iron and steel with addition agents
US242325A US2269407A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-12-01 Addition agent and its use in the treatment of iron and steel
US243324A US2221783A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-12-01 Addition agent and its use

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US201933A Expired - Lifetime US2168561A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-04-14 Treating molten iron and steel with addition agents
US242325A Expired - Lifetime US2269407A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-12-01 Addition agent and its use in the treatment of iron and steel
US243324A Expired - Lifetime US2221783A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-12-01 Addition agent and its use

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US243324A Expired - Lifetime US2221783A (en) 1938-04-14 1938-12-01 Addition agent and its use

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3635770A (en) * 1964-05-20 1972-01-18 Hitachi Ltd Alloy steels for use at low temperatures
US20030010554A1 (en) * 2000-01-31 2003-01-16 Oystein Grong System for balancing a two-wheeled vehicle at rest
CN109321812A (en) * 2018-12-10 2019-02-12 辽宁科技学院 A method of steel additive agent is prepared by raw material of steel scrap
NO20210413A1 (en) * 2021-03-30 2022-10-03 Elkem Materials Ferrosilicon vanadium and/or niobium alloy, production of a ferrosilicon vanadium and/or niobium alloy, and the use thereof
NO20210412A1 (en) * 2021-03-30 2022-10-03 Elkem Materials Ferrosilicon vanadium and/or niobium alloy, production of a ferrosilicon vanadium and/or niobium alloy, and the use thereof

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1336858A (en) * 1962-07-27 1963-09-06 Pechiney Prod Chimiques Sa Alloys containing rare earth metals
US3527597A (en) * 1962-08-31 1970-09-08 British Cast Iron Res Ass Carbide suppressing silicon base inoculant for cast iron containing metallic strontium and method of using same
US3308515A (en) * 1962-10-29 1967-03-14 Gordon K Turnbull Method for cast grain refinement of steel
GB1005163A (en) * 1963-08-10 1965-09-22 British Cast Iron Res Ass Improvements in the manufacture of inoculants for cast irons
US3411897A (en) * 1965-09-08 1968-11-19 Concast Inc Method for continuous casting of rimming steel
US3375105A (en) * 1965-10-22 1968-03-26 Vanadium Corp Of America Method for the production of fine grained steel
DE1288792B (en) * 1966-01-26 1969-02-06 Elektrometallurgie Gmbh Ferrotitanium alloy
US3544310A (en) * 1968-03-01 1970-12-01 Nippon Denko Process for the production of alloys used as additive in the production of spheroidal graphite cast irons
AT377287B (en) * 1982-04-13 1985-02-25 Ver Edelstahlwerke Ag COLD-STRENGING AUSTENITIC MANGANIC STEEL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
US4666516A (en) * 1986-01-21 1987-05-19 Elkem Metals Company Gray cast iron inoculant
WO2012005975A1 (en) * 2010-06-28 2012-01-12 Mcconway & Torley, Llc Improved ferro-alloys

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3635770A (en) * 1964-05-20 1972-01-18 Hitachi Ltd Alloy steels for use at low temperatures
US20030010554A1 (en) * 2000-01-31 2003-01-16 Oystein Grong System for balancing a two-wheeled vehicle at rest
US7226493B2 (en) * 2000-01-31 2007-06-05 Elkem Asa Method for grain refining of steel, grain refining alloy for steel and method for producing grain refining alloy
CN109321812A (en) * 2018-12-10 2019-02-12 辽宁科技学院 A method of steel additive agent is prepared by raw material of steel scrap
NO20210413A1 (en) * 2021-03-30 2022-10-03 Elkem Materials Ferrosilicon vanadium and/or niobium alloy, production of a ferrosilicon vanadium and/or niobium alloy, and the use thereof
NO20210412A1 (en) * 2021-03-30 2022-10-03 Elkem Materials Ferrosilicon vanadium and/or niobium alloy, production of a ferrosilicon vanadium and/or niobium alloy, and the use thereof

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US2221783A (en) 1940-11-19
US2221781A (en) 1940-11-19
GB525706A (en) 1940-09-03
US2269407A (en) 1942-01-06
FR853100A (en) 1940-03-09

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