Effect of Tundish Impact Zone Optimization on Inclusion Removal in Steel: Industrial and Simulation Studies

This study provided comprehensive insights into designing and optimizing tundishes. A tundish is a fundamental reactor contributing to the metallurgical process. This reactor acts as a critical stabilizer of the molten steel flow field, and it facilitates the removal of inclusions by floatation. Numerical simulations, physical experiments, and industrial trials were systematically performed to validate a two-step optimization approach based on the tundish impact zone volume. The two-step approach was shown to facilitate the rapid preliminary optimization of the tundish. The excellent impact zone volume ratio of 19.3 pct was verified. After optimization, there was a decrease in the stagnant zone in the tundish from 22.92 to 16.27 pct relative to the primary design. Furthermore, there was a noteworthy reduction in the total mass of inclusions (TMIs) during different casting periods, as demonstrated by billet sample findings from electrolytic weighing. There was a notable reduction in the TMIs for strand 1 and strand 3 from 2.46 and 2.52 mg/10 kg to 1.06 and 1.68 mg/10 kg, respectively, at the intermediate heat, indicating an improvement in inclusion removal efficiency. The causes of cracking in the retaining walls were investigated, including the variation in cracking risk for multiposition retaining walls.