AsCastScale

Facts:

• Programme: Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS)

• Duration: 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2029

• Coordinator: CRM Group, Belgium

What is AsCastScale?

AsCastScale is a three-year European research project investigating oxide-scale formation on continuously cast semi-products during secondary cooling, handling and hot charging. Hot charging can reduce reheating energy demand and CO2 emissions, but shorter cooling, inspection and surface-treatment stages make the as-cast surface increasingly critical. The project examines how casting conditions, mould powder, cooling histories and downstream thermal routes control scale growth, adhesion, removability and heat transfer.

What are its objectives?

• Observe. Develop high-temperature sampling and monitoring methods for the strand, guiding rolls and hot slabs.

• Characterise. Determine scale thickness, morphology, density, phase composition and adherence, together with heat-transfer and oxidation behaviour.

• Predict and optimise. Combine industrial campaigns and laboratory trials with modelling to improve process control and produce practical guidelines for low-carbon casting and finishing.

What is the contribution of our Chair?

Montanuniversität Leoben leads WP8, Data Analysis and Modelling. SMMP will develop a continuous-casting secondary-cooling model coupling heat transfer, solidification and scale-growth kinetics, and will assess the effects of casting speed, spray intensity and scale properties on strand temperature. A second model will address cold and hot slab charging, piling, thermal panels and induction heating. The validated tools will support industrial optimisation and guidelines.