Effect of MnS precipitation on solute equilibrium partition coefficients in high sulfur steel during solidification

The solute equilibrium partition coefficients (ki) of C, Si, Mn, P, and S in high sulfur steel during the solidification process were investigated by the thermodynamic calculation. The effect of MnS precipitation onkiwas explored. The results showed that the precipitation of MnS inclusion would influence the concentrations of solutes Mn and S, leading to the changing ofki. Due to the precipitation of MnS, thekCandkSdecreased first and then increased with temperature decreasing, whilekSi,kMn, andkPchanged monotonously. The impacts of solidification temperature onkSiandkMnwere greater than that onkC,kS, andkP. With the increase of S content,kC,kSi, andkPincreased whilekMnandkSdecreased. Whereas, an opposite effect was found with the increase of Mn content. The order of influence extent by S and Mn contents waskSi>kS>kMn>kC>kP.