Asymmetric Multi-phase Fluid Flow and Particle Entrapment in a Continuous Casting Mold

The quality of continuous-cast steel slabs is greatly affected by the flow pattern in the mold, which depends on the flow exiting the nozzle. This flow pattern governs the motion of non-metallic inclusion particles and bubbles, surface fluctuation at the meniscus. The flow patterns in the nozzle and mold are also greatly affected by argon gas injection, which is widely employed to reduce nozzle clogging [1, 2]. The argon gas bubbles may attach with small inclusions and become entrapped in the solidifying shell, resulting in pencil pipe and blister defects [3, 4] on the surface of the final product, especially in ultra-low carbon steels for automotive applications. Particle entrapment is more severe towards the inside-radius side of the wide face [5], which has been attributed solely to strand curvature increasing the upward flotation of bubbles towards that face of curved casters [5].