Sulfide Inclusions in an Al‐Killed Nonoriented Electrical Steel with Lanthanum Addition

Abstract

Herein, laboratory experiments are conducted to evaluate the effect of sulfur and lanthanum content in the steel on the modification of inclusions. The amount, composition, morphology, and size of nonmetallic inclusions in the steel are observed using an automatic scanning electron microscope. Results show that as the lanthanum content in the steel increased from 0 to 72 ppm, the inclusions in the steel with 12 ppm sulfur are modified in the following order: Al2O3–CaO–MgO → LaAlO3 → LaAlO3–La2O2S → La2O2S. Similarly, when the sulfur content is 27 ppm, inclusions transformed in the order of Al2O3–CaO–MgO → LaAlO3 → LaAlO3–La2O2S → La2O2S → La2O2S–LaxS → LaxS as the lanthanum content increases from 0 to 150 ppm. Thermodynamic analysis using FactSage based on a private database is employed to reveal the mechanism for the modification of inclusions. Additionally, a kinetic model is established to study the transformation rate of inclusions in the steel after the addition of lanthanum and sulfur. Liquid Al2O3–CaO–MgO inclusions disappear after 800 s when the steel contains 12 ppm sulfur and 12 ppm lanthanum. The composition of inclusions is 53%LaAlO3–47%La2O2S at 1800 s, while it is 100%La2O2S and 80%La2O2S–18%LaxS–2%CaS when the lanthanum content is 33 and 72 ppm, respectively.