Issue 6, 2017

At-line monitoring of continuous casting sequences of steel using discriminant function analysis and dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Abstract

Among the several controlling routines utilized in the steelmaking process, analytical operations during continuous casting are especially demanding due to the extreme environment of steel plants and the crude conditions of the steel surface at the exit of the casting system. This report presents how dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can be used for the real-time monitoring of continuous casting sequences in a steel plant and the operations needed for detecting the separation between grades of close chemical compositions. Diverse dual-pulse laser conditions have been tested in order to improve the LIBS system performance. Apart from the scale layer formed by the oxidation of steel by the surrounding air, the presence of residues of mould powder on the steel surface tends to complicate the LIBS analysis as elements present in the powder such as manganese interfere with the steel components. LIBS data processing by discriminant function analysis has been demonstrated to be beneficial for the identification of steel transitions. Changes in steel composition as low as 0.20 percentage points Cr in a stainless steel sample containing above 17% of this element are detected by corresponding changes in Wilks' lambda values from 1.0 to 0.75 during the transition. Changes in the concentration of nickel are of minor relevance as its concentration on the steel surface at the time of continuous casting is depleted. For steel concentrations differing to a larger extent, differentiation of steel grades is straight, involving changes in Wilks' lambda values from 1 to below 0.1.

Graphical abstract: At-line monitoring of continuous casting sequences of steel using discriminant function analysis and dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 mar 2017
Accepted
08 maj 2017
First published
08 maj 2017

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017,32, 1119-1128

At-line monitoring of continuous casting sequences of steel using discriminant function analysis and dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

J. Ruiz, T. Delgado, L. M. Cabalín and J. J. Laserna, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017, 32, 1119 DOI: 10.1039/C7JA00093F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements