Behaviour of surface oxide scale before roll bite in hot rolling of steel

Hot stalling rolling tests using mild steel slabs with thin and thick scale layers, and cold stalling rolling simulation tests using lead slabs coated with brittle lacquer layers, have been conducted to investigate the behaviour of the surface oxide scales before hot rolling. The effects of rolling reduction, temperature, scale thickness and structure, and slab geometry were examined. The experimental results indicate that the oxide scale can either adhere and deform with the parent steel, or delaminate from the parent steel, or suffer from cracking before hot rolling, depending on the hot strength of the scale and the stress status in the scale, which depend on rolling reduction and temperature, and scale thickness and structure. Therefore, the cracks observed in the oxide scales on the steel slab after hot rolling are generally the combined results of cracking before rolling and further cracking in the roll gap. On the basis of comparative analysis, the prerolling behaviour of the oxide scales in a laboratory scale rolling mill and in an industrial hot strip mill is discussed.