Control of Upstream Austenite Grain Coarsening during the Thin-Slab Cast Direct-Rolling (TSCDR) Process

Thin-slab cast direct-rolling (TSCDR) has become a major process for flat-rolled production. However, the elimination of slab reheating and limited number of thermomechanical deformation passes leave fewer opportunities for austenite grain refinement, resulting in some large grains persisting in the final microstructure. In order to achieve excellent ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and drop weight tear test (DWTT) properties in …