Two-phase thermo-mechanical and macrosegregation modelling of binary alloys solidification with emphasis on the secondary cooling stage of steel slab continuous casting processes

• Published in: International journal for numerical methods in engineering 2006-09, Vol.67 (10), p.1341-1384
• Main Authors: Fachinotti, Victor D., Le Corre, Steven, Triolet, Nicolas, Bobadilla, Manuel, Bellet, Michel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computational techniques; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Continuous casting; Cooling; Engineering Sciences; Equations of state, phase equilibria, and phase transitions; Exact sciences and technology; Foundry engineering; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); macrosegregation; Materials; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical methods in physics; Mathematical models; Metals. Metallurgy; Modelling; Other casting methods. Solidification; Physics; Production techniques; Slabs; Solid-liquid transitions; Specific phase transitions; Steels; thermo-mechanical; two-phase
• ISSN: 0029-5981; 1097-0207
• DOI: 10.1002/nme.1664

As an approach towards a better modelling of solidification problems, we introduce a thermo‐mechanical and macrosegregation model that considers a solidifying alloy as a binary mixture made of a liquid and a solid phase. Macroscopic conservation laws for mass, momentum and solute are obtained by spatial averaging of the respective microscopic conservation equations. Assuming local thermal equilibrium, a single equation for the conservation of the mixture energy is then written. A single equation can be obtained for the solute as well by invoking a proper microsegregation rule. The numerical implementation in a two‐dimensional finite element code is then detailed. Lastly, some examples of simulations of academic tests as well as industrial applications for continuous casting of steel slabs are discussed. They particularly enlighten the ability of the formulation to describe the formation of central macrosegregation during the secondary cooling of slab continuous casting processes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.