High-temperature phase transitions and mechanical properties in steel of peritectic composition

Continuous casting of steels of peritectic composition has proven to be problematic mostly because of surface crack occurrence. We have studied in situ the peritectic reaction as well as the kinetics of the subsequent peritectic transformations using the so-called concentric solidification technique in a high-temperature laser-scanning confocal microscope. We have also assessed grain growth in reheated as well as in situ cast Fe-C specimens in a Gleeble 3500 thermo-mechanical simulator. Our findings will be discussed with reference to the observation in practice that so-called 'blown-out' grains are associated with oscillation marks in continuously cast slabs.