Determination of the liquidus and solidus temperatures of FeCrAl stainless steel

The liquidus and solidus temperatures of FeCrAl stainless steel were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at different heating rates. They were also calculated by Thermo-calc software and empirical formulae separately. The accuracy of calculation results was assessed by comparison with the corresponding DSC results. The liquidus temperatures calculated by empirical formulae, which exhibited a maximum deviation of 8.6°C, were more accurate than those calculated using Thermo-calc, which exhibited a maximum deviation of 12.11°C. On the basis of Thermo-calc calculations performed under the Scheil model, the solidus temperature could be well determined from solid fraction (fS) vs. temperature (t) curves at fS = 0.99. Furthermore, a theoretical analysis to determine the solidus temperature with this method was also provided.