Influence of the Process Conditions of Continuous Casting of Steel on the Macrostructural Quality of a Continuously Cast Round Billet for the Production of Railroad Wheels and Axles of Locomotives

Work was carried out to improve the macrostructural quality of a continuously cast round billet for solid-rolled railroad wheels and axles of locomotives. The influence of secondary cooling and the temperature and speed of steel casting on the formation of centerline porosity (axial looseness) as a macrostructural defect is analyzed. It is established that the deviation of the water distribution in the secondarycooling zones from parabola has a significant effect on the formation of this defect. The optimal secondary-cooling and temperature-speed conditions that improve the macrostructural quality of the billet were established. The implementation of these conditions resulted in deterioration of the surface quality of the billet. To maintain the required surface quality, a new slag-forming mixture, an automatic mixture feed technology, and a mold oscillation mode were developed.