Speaker
Description
Tundish covering powders are prone to sintering, which leads to crust formation during steel
casting operations. Sintering occurs through atomic diusion within the microstructure, driven
by chemical potential gradients, and typically becomes significant at temperatures above
approximately 70% of the material’s melting point. To delay this phenomenon, carbon—
characterized by a very high melting temperature (≈3600 °C)—is commonly added to tundish
powders, forming a separating layer between components and postponing sintering until
carbon combustion occurs. However, for certain steel grades, carbon may act as a source of
recarburization, making its reduction necessary and prompting the search for suitable
alternatives. This study investigates the use of various high-melting-point components as
carbon substitutes in tundish covering powders, aiming to delay sintering and melting while
avoiding undesirable carbon pickup.