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Process Variations in ESR

Electro slag remelting (ESR) is a secondary steel refining process that produces steel with low undesirable element content. However, three ESR process variations were developed to meet customized compositions: pressurized ESR, vacuum ESR, and inert gas atmosphere ESR. Pressurized ESR allows high nitrogen content by maintaining pressure during solidification. Vacuum ESR combines advantages of ESR and vacuum arc remelting. Inert gas ESR uses argon or nitrogen gas to prevent oxidation issues seen in other variations. These process variations allow ESR to be used for alloys requiring tight composition control like tool and bearing steels.

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Pranesh Rao Km
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133 views

Process Variations in ESR

Electro slag remelting (ESR) is a secondary steel refining process that produces steel with low undesirable element content. However, three ESR process variations were developed to meet customized compositions: pressurized ESR, vacuum ESR, and inert gas atmosphere ESR. Pressurized ESR allows high nitrogen content by maintaining pressure during solidification. Vacuum ESR combines advantages of ESR and vacuum arc remelting. Inert gas ESR uses argon or nitrogen gas to prevent oxidation issues seen in other variations. These process variations allow ESR to be used for alloys requiring tight composition control like tool and bearing steels.

Uploaded by

Pranesh Rao Km
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Pranesh Rao K M 12PM07F

Introducion
Electro slag Remelting is a Secondary steel refining

process ESR products are well known for limited content of undesirable elements such as Sulphur, Oxygen, Nitrogen, etc But in order to meet customized product compositions three process variations in ESR are developed
Pressurized ESR Vacuum ESR Inert gas atmosphere ESR

ESR process
Electric current is passed between the electrode(raw matarial) and a watercooled base-plate as shown in figure Due to resistance offered by slag for flow of current temperature of slag raises above melting point of metal Hence molten metal droplets fall from the tip of metal electrode to metallic pool through slag bath When drop passes through slag it loses its content of inclusions and undesirable elements such as Sulphur, Oxygen, Nitrogen, etc. Refined metal solidifies on base plate

Need for Pressurized ESR


Nitrogen has become increasingly attractive as an inexpensive

alloying element for enhancing the properties of steel In austenitic steel, Nitrogen increases yield strength by forming a super-saturated solid solution Hence it is essential that a sufficiently high amount of nitrogen i.e. above the solubility limit under normal pressure is introduced into the molten steel Also nitrogen loss is to be prevented during solidification ESR process is carried at atmospheric pressure hence it is difficult to achieve such high Nitrogen concentration

Pressurized ESR
According to Sieverts law Solubility of a gas in a solution proportional to the square root of partial

pressure of gas Since time of existence of molten metal droplet is for very small ,Nitrogen pickup from gas phase is very less Solid Nitrogen-bearing additives are added to increase nitrogen content of steel High pressure helps in retaining Nitrogen content of Steel Pressure level is decided by the required Nitrogen content of alloy

Vacuum ESR
Remelting is carried out under vacuum as in VAR, but slag is used Problems of oxidation of the melt do not arise. Dissolved gases such as Hydrogen and Nitrogen, can be removed and the danger of white spots, as encountered during VAR Thus advantages of both ESR and VAR are combined in one process. This process is useful in Remelting of super alloys

PESR furnace with stationary mold


1 Ram drive system, 2 Electrode ram, 3 X-Y adjustment, 4 Load cell system, 5 Sliding contact, 6 Pivoting drive, 7 Electrode, 8 Water jacket, 9 Base plate

Need for inert gas atmosphere ESR


Following problems are encountered in previous process variations of ESR
Oxidation of electrode

Hydrogen pickup
Oxidation loss of alloying elements(Ti ,Al ,Si)

These problems are attributed to the fact that ESR is

carried out in atmosphere of air(N,O,H) Thus to overcome these problems atmospheric air is replaced by inert gas maintained at atmospheric pressure

IESR
By using argon as the inert gas, pick-up of

nitrogen and hydrogen is avoided By using nitrogen as the inert gas some pick-up of nitrogen is possible This process can be used for alloys containing high amount of Al and Ti like super alloys reason being prevention of oxidation

IESR furnace
1 Electrode feed drive system 2 Ball screw 3 Pilotable furnace support gantry 4 Load cell system 5 Electrode ram 6 Electrode stub 7 Protective gas chamber 8 Slag pool 9 Ingot 10 Mold assembly 11 High current contact assembly 12 Power cables 13 Ram guiding system

Conclusions
ESR process which was previously used for obtaining low S and N content in product can be now used to process various alloys by implementing process variation ESR finds wide application in remelting of tool steel ,die steel ,ball bearing steel, because of process variations in ESR ESR which was considered to be economically

unviable for desulphurization due to large quantity of electricity consumption has regained importance due to advent process variations

Reference
Electro slag Remelting Processes and Furnaces by ALD

Vacuum Technologies

Thank You

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