Hydrogen Hydrogen is. generally present to some extent but i is always unwanted’ in commercial steels. It can cause porosity and hair:line cracks, particu: ® larly in large steel castings. Prolonged heat treatment over sever weeks could be’ required to'decreasé the hydrogen by solid state diffu: sion to an acceptable level. This is expensive and.thus. where steel is required with low hydrogen contents, every attempt should be made to minimize hydrogen absorption during processing of. liquid steel. + The solubility limit of hydrogen in solid iron at its melting point is about 0.001 percent (i.e. 10 ppm). The abbreviation ppm ‘means parts-per-mil- lion. If the hydrogen content of the liquid exceeds this ‘amount, ill be: rejected during freezing and this leads to pin-hole formation and porosity. The reaction between H, and liquid iron can be written: 12H, = (H] oo and, [wt % HJ} = K(pHAy? The effect of temperature on the equilibrium constant is given by: log K-= —1670/T — 168 . .* tions give the solubility of hydrogertin pure iron at ‘ 0.0027 wt. percent (27 ppm). If the pressure ‘is ri Spheres as in vacuum degassing, the equilibrium. content woul about one ppm. Au in the case of nitrogen, interaction parameters are available which 124describe the effect of various alloying: elements on the solubility of hy- drogen in alloy steels. Absorption of hydrogen by molten-steel can take place from moisture or focarbons. in the furndce-atmosphere, fromilimestone, ore, mill- - seale, scrap or alloy additions during refining, fromthe atmosphere dur- “ing tapping and pouring, trom c stories | dntie lacie: ‘or from hy- dtecarbons contained in mold coating: or binders ‘The dissolution of: hyarogse in molten steel tromwaters Vapor may be ex- Pressed as: : Ho aH ca o- * Expanding this equation log [aad valk + Hatn oo Ae Ww a Sat ay Figure 4. Relationship Between Hydrogen Content and Oxygen Content at 2912°F 125This relationship between hydrogen and oxygen in liquid iron at 2912°F is shown in Figure 4 for a range of water vapor pressures from that typi cal for an are furnace (0.015) to that for an open hearth (0.3). From this 4 Giagram it can be seen that the hydrogen content increases as the oxy: gen content decreases. At low oxygen levels typical of killed steels. or at the higher water vapor pressures, the equilibrium hydrogen content.“ actually exceeds that which would be in equilibrium with pure hydrogen.) efone atrnosphere pressure. Fortunately these equilibrium values are well in excess of those normally encountered in practice (i.e. about 2-6 1 ppm), due mainly to the continuous removal of hydrogen during refining by tne rinsing action of carbon monoxide bubbles. Further removal of 5 hydrogen can be accomplished by argon rinsing in the ladie or vacuum 3 processing to give hydrogen levels below 2-3 ppm. in summary, hydrogen absorption can be decreased by: (@) Preheating scrap and other furnace additives. (6) Maintaining a good carbon boil . (e) Minimizing the tine deoxidized metal is exposed to tne atmo sphere. (@) Ensuring the ladle refractories are properly dried Further information on hydrogen and nitrogen are given in the refer: ences. INDUCTION MELTING Induction furnaces are used to melt all of the common grades and al- loys encountered in the steel foundry industry. The size and type of fury nace is dictated by the economics of the specific application: refracto- hes area limiting factor in many cases. The reauirernent for air pollution abatement equipment is also a governing factor. One of the main advantages claimed for induction furnaces is the small amount of alloy material that is lost in the melting operation. For all practical purposes, what goes in—goes out. This allows for good com- position control through careful weighing of alloy additions. If the com- besition of the charge materials is accurately known, precise metal” lurgical control is rather easily realized. This is quite important where expensive alloying additions are used = 126