Oxidation of Low-Carbon,Low-Silicon Mild Steel at 450–900°C Under Conditions Relevant to Hot-Strip Processing

The oxidation behavior of a low-carbon, low-silicon mild steel was investigated in ambient air at 450–900°C to simulate steel strip oxidation during finishing hot rolling and coiling. Oxide scales developed at 880–900°C for a very short time (12 sec) had a structure similar to that formed on pure iron, but with a greater thickness ratio between the magnetite and wüstite layers. However, the scale structure after oxidation for a longer period (200 sec) at 900°C deviated significantly from that reported for pure iron. This difference was attributed to the loss of scale–steel adhesion at some locations. Oxide scales formed in the range of 580–700°C after oxidation for more than 2 hr also differed from those reported for pure iron. The scale structures were irregular, comprising mainly hematite and magnetite with no or very little wüstite, while the thickness ratio of these two layers differed considerably at different locations. The scale formed at 450–560°C was relatively uniform with a two-layered (hematite and magnetite) structure; however, the thickness ratio of these two scale layers varied for different oxidation temperatures and different oxidation durations. It was also found that limited oxygen supply (zero air flow) improved the scale–steel adhesion, and substantially reduced the relative thickness of the hematite layer. Continuous-cooling experiments proved that significant growth of the hematite layer, as well as the entire scale layer, may occur if the steel is cooled slowly through the temperature range 600–660°C, and even more significantly through the range 660–720°C.