APPLICATION OF THE AOD PROCESS IN THE PRODUCTION OF STEEL CASTINGS TO USE IN EXTREME OPERATING CONDITIONS

Requirements for the use of steel castings in extreme conditions apply to grades from low- to high-alloyed produced with the use of secondary treatment of cast steel in order to obtain very accurate regulation of the chemical composition and to ensure very high purity of the cast steel. The optimal solution for foundry conditions was the use of an AOD converter (for the first time in Poland) for the refining of steel cast from electric arc furnace. In terms of internal quality, low-alloy cast steel castings for low temperature operation, high-alloy martensitic cast steel for high temperature operation and high-alloy duplex casting for high corrosive environments were tested. The application of the AOD process will provide the foundry with a significant increase in its domestic and international portfolio, while increasing the profitability of the foundry’s production.