Impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions and phase transformations

Scrap recycling is one of the major pillars of the steel industry's green transformation. It is important, however, to consider the available scrap's tramp element levels. While non-metallic inclusions (NMIs) and tramp elements are both considered to be part of steel cleanness, their inter...

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Main Authors: Julian Cejka, Isabell Gruber, Gerald Klösch, Susanne K. Michelic
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Materials Research and Technology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S223878542500660X
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author Julian Cejka
Isabell Gruber
Gerald Klösch
Susanne K. Michelic
author_facet Julian Cejka
Isabell Gruber
Gerald Klösch
Susanne K. Michelic
author_sort Julian Cejka
collection DOAJ
description Scrap recycling is one of the major pillars of the steel industry's green transformation. It is important, however, to consider the available scrap's tramp element levels. While non-metallic inclusions (NMIs) and tramp elements are both considered to be part of steel cleanness, their interplay is hardly investigated. Therefore, this work focuses on the impact of tramp elements on NMIs in three medium carbon steels in solid state. The elements studied are copper, molybdenum, tin, and nickel. The deformation behavior of NMIs of the steels is evaluated by dilatometric deformation via the change of aspect ratio using automated SEM/EDS analyses. Furthermore, the effect of these tramp elements on the microstructure using quenching dilatometry is studied via dilatometric curves and light microscopy after etching. It is shown that especially copper (additions of 0.25 wt.-% and 0.5 wt.-%) impacts the deformation behavior of NMIs by reducing the change of aspect ratio and also increases the share of hard phases in the microstructure where in one steel bainite is formed while without copper the microstructure is ferritic-pearlitic with the same cooling rate. However, adding 0.1 or 0.2 wt.-% nickel causes the opposite effect on deformation and microstructure while the added levels of tin (0.03 wt.-%) and molybdenum (max. 0.08 wt.-%) have not influenced the NMI deformation behavior significantly. With the changes in NMI behavior and steel microstructure, fracture toughness has to be re-evaluated.
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spelling doaj-art-edb9e76517d74c69a6e67f7c692691c72025-08-20T03:42:44ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-05-013651352110.1016/j.jmrt.2025.03.150Impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions and phase transformationsJulian Cejka0Isabell Gruber1Gerald Klösch2Susanne K. Michelic3Christian Doppler Laboratory for Inclusion Metallurgy in Advanced Steelmaking, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Franz Josef–Straße 18, 8700, Leoben, Austria; Corresponding author.Christian Doppler Laboratory for Inclusion Metallurgy in Advanced Steelmaking, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Franz Josef–Straße 18, 8700, Leoben, AustriaVoestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH, Kerpelystraße 199, 8700, Leoben, AustriaChristian Doppler Laboratory for Inclusion Metallurgy in Advanced Steelmaking, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Franz Josef–Straße 18, 8700, Leoben, AustriaScrap recycling is one of the major pillars of the steel industry's green transformation. It is important, however, to consider the available scrap's tramp element levels. While non-metallic inclusions (NMIs) and tramp elements are both considered to be part of steel cleanness, their interplay is hardly investigated. Therefore, this work focuses on the impact of tramp elements on NMIs in three medium carbon steels in solid state. The elements studied are copper, molybdenum, tin, and nickel. The deformation behavior of NMIs of the steels is evaluated by dilatometric deformation via the change of aspect ratio using automated SEM/EDS analyses. Furthermore, the effect of these tramp elements on the microstructure using quenching dilatometry is studied via dilatometric curves and light microscopy after etching. It is shown that especially copper (additions of 0.25 wt.-% and 0.5 wt.-%) impacts the deformation behavior of NMIs by reducing the change of aspect ratio and also increases the share of hard phases in the microstructure where in one steel bainite is formed while without copper the microstructure is ferritic-pearlitic with the same cooling rate. However, adding 0.1 or 0.2 wt.-% nickel causes the opposite effect on deformation and microstructure while the added levels of tin (0.03 wt.-%) and molybdenum (max. 0.08 wt.-%) have not influenced the NMI deformation behavior significantly. With the changes in NMI behavior and steel microstructure, fracture toughness has to be re-evaluated.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S223878542500660XNon-metallic inclusionTramp elementsSteel scrapRecyclingDilatometry
spellingShingle Julian Cejka
Isabell Gruber
Gerald Klösch
Susanne K. Michelic
Impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions and phase transformations
Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Non-metallic inclusion
Tramp elements
Steel scrap
Recycling
Dilatometry
title Impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions and phase transformations
title_full Impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions and phase transformations
title_fullStr Impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions and phase transformations
title_full_unstemmed Impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions and phase transformations
title_short Impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions and phase transformations
title_sort impact of selected tramp elements in medium carbon steels on the deformation behavior of non metallic inclusions and phase transformations
topic Non-metallic inclusion
Tramp elements
Steel scrap
Recycling
Dilatometry
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S223878542500660X
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AT geraldklosch impactofselectedtrampelementsinmediumcarbonsteelsonthedeformationbehaviorofnonmetallicinclusionsandphasetransformations
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