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Secondary cooling electromagnetic stirring (S-EMS) significantly impacts the internal quality of continuous casting slabs. In order to investigate the effects of S-EMS modes on segregation in slabs, a three-dimensional numerical model of the full-scale flow field, solidification, and mass transfer was established. A comparative analysis was conducted between continuous electromagnetic stirring and alternate stirring modes regarding their impacts on steel flow, solidification, and carbon segregation. The results indicated that adopting the alternate stirring mode was more advantageous for achieving uniform flow fields and reducing the disparity in solidification endpoints, thus mitigating carbon segregation. Specifically, the central carbon segregation index under continuous stirring at 320 A was 1.236, with an average of 1.247, while under alternate stirring, the central carbon segregation index decreased to 1.222 with an average of 1.227.

Strand electromagnetic stirring (S-EMS), a technique applied in the secondary cooling zone, enhances the solidification structure of casting slabs. This study examines how the arrangement pattern of electromagnetic stirring rollers—face-to-face, side-to-side or up-down misalignment produces this enhancement. It uses simulations to analyze the electromagnetic field distribution in these configurations. The findings demonstrate that: (1) The magnetic flux density distribution in the casting slab is related to the arrangement pattern of the electromagnetic stirring rollers. (2) The face-to-face arrangement produces the largest and most concentrated electromagnetic force compared to the other two arrangement patterns. (3) S-EMS can effectively improve the equiaxed grain ratio of casting slabs. Before and after EMS is turned on, casting slabs’ average equiaxed grain ratio goes up from 8% to 33%.

Carbon segregation is the major and classical internal defect in the continuous casting process of carbon steel. Based on the combined electromagnetic stirring equipment for new billet in a steel plant, China, the influence of combined electromagnetic stirring (M-EMS + F-EMS) on the carbon segregation of 300 mm × 340 mm special-shaped billet was studied via numerical simulation and on-site industrialization tests. The Lorentz force and carbon solute distribution were simulated under different EMS parameters. The formation mechanism of the carbon segregation of medium carbon steel with different combined electromagnetic stirring processes was analyzed. The results show that: (1) with the combined action of “solute flushing” effect and gravity, the carbon concentration in the loose side of the medium carbon steel casting billet is gradually lower than the fixed side, while the carbon concentration on the fixed side gradually accumulates more; and (2) under the action of combined electromagnetic stirring, the segregation index of casting billet could be controlled to remain between 0.96–1.05 and shows an increasing change in solidification from the skin to the center. When the current and frequency of M-EMS are 250 A and 2.0 Hz and the F-EMS are 180 A and 8.0 Hz, the carbon segregation defects in the special-shaped (300 mm × 340 mm) casting billet can be significantly improved.

Final electromagnetic stirring (F-EMS) effectively improves macrosegregation and central porosity in round bloom continuous casting, while the flow and solidification of molten steel under F-EMS have a direct impact on metallurgical properties. Fluid flow and solidification behavior in a 600 mm round bloom continuous casting process with F-EMS were simulated. The influence of the liquid fraction model on strand temperature distribution was investigated. The flow of molten steel was analyzed under both continuous and alternate stirring modes. The results indicated that in continuous stirring mode, the stirring velocity fluctuates between peaks and troughs over a specific period. The closer the F-EMS is to the meniscus, the larger the mushy zone area and the higher the stirring velocity. Due to the 10+ s rise time for current intensity, a 25 s forward and reverse stirring duration is recommended for Φ600 mm round bloom continuous casting with F-EMS.

Electromagnetic fields have emerged as powerful tools for addressing current problems in thin slab continuous casting processes in the iron and steel industry. Substantial studies have been undertaken on the fundamental effects of electromagnetic brakes (EMBr) and strand electromagnetic stirring (SEMS). However, little attention has been focused on melt flow and solidification in a thin slab continuous caster with the simultaneous application of an EMBr and SEMS. The present study aimed to predict transient fields in the caster using a large eddy simulation and an enthalpy-porosity method. The electric potential method was applied in the braking process, and the conductivity change with solidification was considered. The suppressive effect on the intensity of the nozzle jet, the balance effect on the mold flow, and a dispersion effect could be observed. The dispersion effect was a novel finding and was beneficial to a flatter nozzle jet. In contrast, SEMS caused a highly turbulent flow in the strand. A large vortex could be observed in the casting direction. The solidified shell became more uniform, and the solidification rate became obviously slower. These findings supported the view that a high-quality thin slab can be produced by the application of an EMBr and SEMS.

Internal electromagnetic stirring is an advanced melt treatment method, which can be used in direct chill casting to prepare large-scale Al alloy billets. Intercooling intensity is a primary parameter of internal electromagnetic stirring; its effects on temperature fields and microstructures have been investigated via numerical simulations and industrial experiments, respectively. The simulated results show an increase in the intercooling affected area and a decrease in sump depth with an increase in the intercooling heat transfer coefficient. The heat transfer coefficient should not exceed 500 W/(m2 °C) because the solid fraction of the intercooling end bottom may exceed 50%. The experiment’s results demonstrate that the average grain sizes in the edge, 1/2 radius, and center are 151 ± 13 μm, 159 ± 14 μm, and 149 ± 16 μm, respectively, under a liquid nitrogen flow rate of 160 L/min, which is much finer than that of 80 L/min and more homogeneous than that of 240 L/min. Furthermore, an experimental liquid nitrogen flow rate of 80 L/min, 160 L/min, and 240 L/min approximately correspond to the simulated heat transfer coefficient of 200 W/(m2 °C), 300 W/(m2 °C), and 400 W/(m2 °C), respectively.

A three-dimensional mathematical model coupling electromagnetic, flow, heat transfer, and solidification has been developed to investigate the effect of eccentric mold electromagnetic stirring (EM-EMS) on the flow and heat transfer of molten steel in round blooms with different cross sections. The uneven distribution of the flow field caused by EM-EMS was improved by changing the straight submerged entry nozzle (SEN) to a four-port SEN. The symmetry index was determined by the velocity distributions on the left and right sides of the center cross section of mold electromagnetic stirring (M-EMS), which quantitatively evaluated the symmetry of EM-EMS on the flow field. In the presence of EM-EMS, the maximum temperature difference of ϕ 500 mm and ϕ 650 mm round blooms between the inner and outer curves amounted to 63 and 26 K, respectively. The maximum distinction between the solidified shells in the inner and outer curves was 11.5 and 5.3 mm, respectively. After using the four-port SEN, the temperature and the shell distribution on the inner and outer curves for the ϕ 500 mm round bloom were almost the same. The symmetry indices of ϕ 500 mm and ϕ 650 mm round blooms were increased from 0.55 and 0.70 to 0.77 and 0.87, respectively. The four-port SEN can be used to mitigate the negative impact of EM-EMS on the steel flow field.

The Ni-coated carbon fiber-reinforced AM50 magnesium matrix composites were fabricated utilizing a mechanical coupling electromagnetic stirring technique. The effects of carbon fiber addition amount on the hardness, compressive mechanical properties and wear resistance of Ni-Cf/AM50 composite materials were studied using hardness, compression and friction-wear experiments. The microstructures, interface bonding between the matrix and carbon fiber as well as the characterization of fracture surfaces and wear surfaces of the composite materials were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that the Ni-coated carbon fibers are uniformly distributed throughout the matrix, and the presence of Ni coating improves the interfacial bonding between the carbon fibers and the matrix. The hardness, compressive strength and wear resistance of the composite material were improved compared to the AM50 alloy. When the addition amount of carbon fiber is 1.0 wt%, the composite material shows a hardness of 79.3 HV, compressive strength of 276 MPa, an average friction coefficient of 0.243 and a wear rate of 0.11%. These values indicate significant improvements of 69.8%, 17%, 13.21% and 85.53% over the AM50 alloy, respectively. The reason for the properties improvement of composite material can be attributed to the combined effect of the uniform distribution of carbon fibers, the good bonding between Ni-coated carbon fiber and the matrix interface and the excellent lubricating properties of carbon fibers.

To obtain fine microstructure and homogeneous distribution of alloying elements in the large-sized billet, the internal electromagnetic stirring as a new electromagnetic stirring method was proposed and utilized for the preparation of Ф508 mm 7050 aluminum alloy billet. The results demonstrate that the internal electromagnetic stirring could refine the microstructure and second phase, and alleviated the macrosegregation significantly. The grain size at the edge, 1/2 radius, and center of the billet decreased to 180 μm, 175 μm, and 185 μm, respectively. Moreover, the relative macrosegregation of Zn, Mg, and Cu at the edge and center decreased to 3.9% and 2.8%, 2.3% and 1.6%, 4.1% and 2.5%, respectively.

Aiming at the problem of negative segregation under a bloom surface, a coupling macrosegregation model considering electromagnetic field, flow, heat, and solute transport was established based on the volume average method to study the effect of in-mold electromagnetic stirring (M-EMS) on the negative segregation under the bloom surface. In the model, the influence of dendrite structure on the flow and solute transport was described by the change of permeability. The model was validated by the magnetic induction intensity of M-EMS and carbon segregation experiment. The results show that the solute C in the solidified shell in the turbulent zone of the bloom undergoes two negative segregations, whereby the first is caused by nozzle jet, and the second by the M-EMS. The severities of the negative segregation caused by M-EMS at different currents and frequencies are also different, and the larger the current is, or the smaller the frequency is, the more serious will be the negative segregation. With the M-EMS, the solute C distribution in the liquid phase of the bloom is more uniform, but the mass fraction of C in the liquid phase is higher than that without M-EMS.