Hot Strip Mill; Roughing stands; Work rolls; High chromium steel; Semi-high speed steel; LiMaRC - Liège Materials Research Center
Abstract :
[en] Two alloys grades for work rolls used in the roughing stand of Hot Strip Mill (HSM) are compared. The first grade known as High Chromium Steel (HCS) is presently the most widely used alloy for such an application, while the second one known as semi-High-speed Steel (semi-HSS) is the new grade developed to improve the overall performance of the work roll in the roughing stands of the HSM.
In the present paper, the new semi-HSS grade is studied starting from three chemical compositions closed one to another, the variation in the alloying elements is intended to assess, on one hand the effect of a small increase of the carbon content, and on the other hand the influence of the addition of a strong MC carbide forming element.
The comparison of HCS and semi-HSS grades involves many fields.
Regarding the metallurgical aspect, such a comparison led to the enhancement of the solidification range, the crystallization behavior and the microstructure in the as-cast condition for both grades.
Furthermore, corrosion behavior and performances of the work rolls in service are compared.
Various techniques are used in order to characterize both grades, such as Differential Thermal Analysis (to determine phase transformations temperatures, the crystallization behavior and the interval of solidification), hardness measurements, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy associated with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (to determine the nature and the composition of phases, especially matrix and carbides).
Finally micro-macro relations between the nature of the microstructure and the properties of HCS and semi-HSS rolls grades in service conditions could be established.
