{"title":"B2O3 Added Fluxes and Slags for Sustainable Iron and Steelmaking Processes: A State-of-the-Art Review","authors":"Suguna Soumya Varanasi, Bhaskara Venkata Rao Mandalika, Ashok Kamaraj","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500575","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500575","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A comprehensive review of the current research trends, industrial applicability, and future scope of B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> as a sustainable flux in iron/steelmaking slags and mold fluxes is presented in this article. B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> forms 2D-BO<sub>3</sub> and 3D-BO<sub>4</sub> units, decreasing the network stability of silicate slags. Furthermore, B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> forms low-melting compounds with CaO and MgO, thereby reducing the melting temperature and viscosity of slags. B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> as a replacement for bentonite in the pellets reduces the pelletization process's specific energy consumption and the slag rate in the blast furnace ironmaking process. B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> acts as a fluxing agent, boron microalloying agent, inclusion modifier, and slag stabilizer in steelmaking processes. B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> can replace hazardous CaF<sub>2</sub> in iron and steelmaking processes and reduce the environmental impact. B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-based mold fluxes exhibit a shear-thinning property and are less reactive. The valorization potential of B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-modified slags improves due to induced glass-forming ability and stable phase formation. Eventually, the future scope of studying the effect of B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> additions in iron and steelmaking slags and the challenges associated with industrial scalability is discussed. This detailed review reveals that B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> addition at different stages of the iron and steelmaking process creates a pathway for a sustainable future.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1279-1310"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147568624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research Progress and Prospect of Muon Imaging Technology in the Detection of Blast Furnace Internal Structure","authors":"Xudong Liu, Kexin Jiao, Jianliang Zhang, Yanbing Zong","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500672","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500672","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Traditional monitoring methods are constrained by limitations in penetration depth, nondestructiveness, and safety, hindering their ability to meet modern blast furnace needs. Recently, muon imaging has emerged as a breakthrough technology for nondestructive probing and continuous monitoring of blast furnace internals, leveraging its strong penetration, noncontact nature, and lack of radiation. This article systematically reviews its fundamental principles, key applications, and technical challenges. Studies show transmission imaging successfully monitors hearth erosion at Nippon Steel's No. 2 blast furnace, while scattering imaging achieves 3D visualization of the cohesive zone in the EU Mu-Blast project. However, industrial deployment still faces significant hurdles: large density inversion errors, idealized imaging algorithms, and complex internal structures. Proposed solutions include enhancing density inversion accuracy via detector array hardware optimization, developing improved algorithms for nonuniform media to overcome idealized modeling, and adopting a multimodal approach to address structural complexity. Future research will focus on near real-time 3D imaging and high-temperature dynamic monitoring, driving industrial adoption to provide core technical support for safer, smarter blast furnace operations.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1166-1181"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147564966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Review on Research on the Development Process and Influencing Factors of Oxide Film on HotRolled Work Rolls","authors":"Fei Shang, Jipeng Zhao, Huilin Chen, Zhijie Zheng, Ruilin Miao, Xuegang Zhou, Chunwei Xing, Pengpeng Zhang","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500629","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500629","url":null,"abstract":"<p>With the advancement of hot-rolling production technology and the increase in product demand, the quality requirements for hot-rolled steel strips are also constantly rising. The oxide film on the working roll, as the medium that directly contacts the strip steel in the production of hot-rolled strip steel, its formation and development process directly affect the surface quality of the strip steel, the roll wear, and service life of the rolls. Considering the extreme working conditions of drastic temperature changes and periodic heavy loads during the rolling process, the research on the full life cycle of the oxide film on the rolls has become a hot and difficult issue in the industry. With the continuous and in-depth research and accumulation of achievements by scholars at home and abroad over the years, a relevant oxide film development system has gradually been formed. Its scientific rationality and depth directly determine the effectiveness of formulating oxide film regulation strategies, controlling high-precision strip steel, developing high-performance roll materials and optimizing green rolling processes in the production process. Therefore, based on the investigation of relevant literature, this study summarizes, compares, and evaluates the key findings and evolution mechanisms of the development of the oxide film on the roll and the spalling failure behavior under the influencing factors such as material composition, rolling process, and environmental medium respectively. In view of the deficiencies of traditional research methods, combined with the current multiphysics field coupling modeling methods for the influencing factors of oxide film growth in the field of hot-rolled sheet and strip, as well as the application status of data-driven intelligent prediction models, the directions and challenges that need to be focused on and broken through in future research are expounded.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1250-1278"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147568623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Minimization of Porosity in E11018-G Low-Alloyed Steel Processed by Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition","authors":"Josu López-López, Florencia Schiopetto, Itziar Ruiz-Moraza, Iñigo Pérez-Casero, Ernesto Urionabarrenetxea, Carmen Luno-Bilbao, Angela Veiga, Sergio Ausejo","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500639","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500639","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) has emerged as a promising technology for the resurfacing and repair of components, offering a potential alternative to conventional welding techniques. The objective of this study is to examine the LP-DED processability window for the rail repair alloy E11018-G. The E11018-G powder, produced via gas atomization, is characterized and deposited onto C45 steel substrates. Following the optimization of LP-DED process parameters, the investigation is extended to evaluate external factors influencing porosity, including powder porosity, powder moisture, ambient humidity, and the application of laser remelting. The results present the processability window for E11018-G and identify powder porosity, originating from the gas atomization process, as the primary contributor to porosity in the LP-DED deposits. By systematically adjusting process parameters and external factors, internal porosity in LP-DED specimens is reduced from 0.7% to 0.04%. Microstructural analysis of the additively manufactured material reveals a predominantly fine-grain ferritic structure with an average hardness of 235–250 HV<sub>0.3</sub>. These findings confirm the processability of the E11018-G material using LP-DED and highlight the critical influence of atomization gas on the LP-DED deposits.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1369-1383"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/srin.202500639","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wenjian Zheng, Dongliang Wang, Zhihui Cai, Daochen Feng, Lin Zhang, Yinghe Ma, Jianguo Yang
{"title":"Welding Cracking Analysis and Cracking Mechanism of 347 Stainless Steel Catalyst Beam","authors":"Wenjian Zheng, Dongliang Wang, Zhihui Cai, Daochen Feng, Lin Zhang, Yinghe Ma, Jianguo Yang","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500560","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500560","url":null,"abstract":"<p>347 stainless steel possesses excellent properties and is widely used in large reactors. Through detailed analysis, this work identifies the cracking mode of the welded joint in the thick-walled support beam of the 347 stainless steel catalyst in the slurry bed reactor. Experiment results show that the crack exists in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone close to the fusion line, and the fracture surface exhibits typical intergranular cracking and a significant amount of secondary cracking. Initial fracture exhibits significant oxidation, with no dimples or cleavage microstructures observed. Base metal exhibits excellent resistance to intergranular corrosion, with the presence of low-melting-point Nb/Cr/Mo eutectic phases near the crack tip. Under the influence of the welding thermal cycle, the low-melting-point eutectic phase induces grain boundary liquefaction. With the expansion of the liquefied zone and the action of thermal stress, the melting of low-melting-point eutectics leads to the formation of intergranular cracks. The generated microcracks rapidly propagate along the grain boundaries, coalesce with other microcracks, and form larger main cracks, leading to fracture.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1359-1368"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yogendra Chouksey, Mária Dománková, Christof Sommitsch, Surya D. Yadav
{"title":"Coarsening Kinetics of M23C6 Carbide in a Tantalum Containing 12% Cr Steel: Modeling and Experimental Validation","authors":"Yogendra Chouksey, Mária Dománková, Christof Sommitsch, Surya D. Yadav","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500630","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500630","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Coarsening kinetics of M<sub>23</sub>C<sub>6</sub> (M = Cr, W, Fe) precipitate in a Tantalum containing 12% Cr tempered martensitic steel is studied at the aging temperature of 650 °C, employing DICTRA simulations. Presence of M<sub>23</sub>C<sub>6</sub>, Laves phase, and MX phase at 650 °C is confirmed through thermodynamic simulations and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), with the mean radius of ≈11, 41, and 37 nm, respectively. Predicted size of M<sub>23</sub>C<sub>6</sub> precipitate is substantiated with TEM investigation, and the effect of interfacial energy, alloying elements, temperature, and formation of Laves phase on the coarsening kinetics of M<sub>23</sub>C<sub>6</sub> is discussed. A combination of microscopy and precipitation kinetic simulations suggests that the interfacial energy of carbide and tempered martensitic matrix lies in the range of 0.5–0.7 Jm<sup>−2</sup>. Simulation results suggest that the addition of Mn increases the coarsening rate coefficient of carbide, while Co decreases it, due to their effect on the diffusion coefficients of Cr in the matrix. Elevated temperature results in an increase in the diffusion coefficient of Cr in the matrix, which thereby leads to an increase in the coarsening rate of the carbide. Further, it is observed that, formation of Laves phase (Fe<sub>2</sub>W) leads to slight increase in the coarsening rate coefficient of M<sub>23</sub>C<sub>6</sub> carbide.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1384-1394"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dongyang Dou, Baozhong Ma, Zhihe Cao, Yongqiang Chen, Chengyan Wang
{"title":"Efficient Recovery of Iron and Chromium from Laterite Residue for Fe–Cr Alloy Production via Sawdust Reduction","authors":"Dongyang Dou, Baozhong Ma, Zhihe Cao, Yongqiang Chen, Chengyan Wang","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500683","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500683","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent years have witnessed remarkable progress in nickel hydrometallurgy, largely driven by increasing nickel demands from the expanding new energy and stainless steel industries. However, the hydrometallurgical process generates a large amount of laterite residue, which contains valuable metals such as iron and chromium. Currently, laterite residue is often landfilled or deep-sea dumped due to high treatment costs, causing both ecological damage and resource waste. This study presents a biomass-based ironmaking process for efficient Fe and Cr recovery from laterite residue. As a biomass resource, sawdust offers cost-effective, abundant availability and strong iron oxide reduction capability. The phase composition and microstructure of the products are characterized to investigate the phase transformation behavior during the reduction process. The optimal reduction conditions are a 0.85:1 sawdust-to-laterite residue mass ratio at 1500 °C for 80 min. Experimental results show that under the optimal conditions, the iron and chromium content in the product reaches 96.71% and 2.63%, respectively, with recovery of 95.80% for iron and 95.29% for chromium.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1334-1343"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of Prior Martensite on the Tempering Stability of Microstructure and Hardness for Low-Temperature Bainite Steel","authors":"Hua Zheng, Songbo Zhou, Rui Ke, Feng Hu, Kaiming Wu","doi":"10.1002/srin.202400940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202400940","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study systematically investigates the effect of prior martensite on the tempering stability of the microstructure and hardness of low-temperature bainite steel using scanning electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and hardness testing. Microstructural characterization indicates that the steel with and without quenching at a certain temperature before the isothermal bainitic transformation exhibits two kinds of microstructures, one consisting of bainitic ferrite and retained austenite with martensite and another without martensite. Furthermore, the tempered steel with prior martensite exhibits finer bainitic laths (60–160 nm) and maintains stable hardness (500 HV1) even when tempered up to 500 °C, whereas the tempered steel without prior martensite shows a considerable hardness degradation when tempered above 400 °C. It is demonstrated that the finer bainitic laths and the more thermally stable mechanical behavior are related to the prior martensite, which not only provides more potential nucleation sites for the transformation of bainite by introducing the α-γ interface but also delays the decomposition of retained austenite by exerting compressive stress on adjacent retained austenite to prevent the carbon precipitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1422-1431"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yafeng Zhou, Jiacheng Shen, Juru Yang, Hitoshi Ohmori, Binghai Lyu
{"title":"Dual Electrolytic Grinding of Cr12 Hardened Die Steel","authors":"Yafeng Zhou, Jiacheng Shen, Juru Yang, Hitoshi Ohmori, Binghai Lyu","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500592","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500592","url":null,"abstract":"<p>To improve the grinding quality and removal rate of Cr12 die steel, a novel dual electrolytic grinding (DEG) method is proposed, featuring simultaneous electrolysis of both workpiece and grinding wheel. This approach synergistically combines electrochemical oxidation with mechanical grinding to address wheel loading issues and unstable surface quality. Grinding experiments are conducted to investigate the effects of critical parameters including wheel voltage, workpiece voltage, and workpiece power frequency. Grinding force, wheel wear, material removal rate (MRR), grinding ratio, and workpiece surface quality are analyzed Experimental results reveal that fine surface quality with a surface roughness Sa of 2.5 nm is achieved at 30 V wheel voltage and 27.5 V workpiece voltage. Excessive wheel voltage (>30 V) accelerats binder dissolution, causing abrasive particle detachment and reduces grinding force. When workpiece voltage reaches 37.5 V, MRR increases by over 200% compared to nonelectrolytic conditions. Increasing workpiece electrolysis frequency from 25 kHz to 250 kHz enhances MRR by 23% (64 μm h<sup>−1</sup>). Under selected parameters, the grinding ratio improves by 47% (3.9) compared to conventional methods, achieving mirror-like finish surfaces with Sa <3 nm. These findings demonstrate that DEG enables high-quality surface processing of die steel and shows significant potential for precision machining of difficult-to-cut metals.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1395-1409"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shahab Bazri, Carlo Mapelli, Silvia Barella, Andrea Gruttadauria, Davide Mombelli
{"title":"Multifaceted Behavior and Functional Versatility of Ferritic Stainless Steels, Part I: Applications and Processing, a Review","authors":"Shahab Bazri, Carlo Mapelli, Silvia Barella, Andrea Gruttadauria, Davide Mombelli","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500510","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500510","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This comprehensive review scrutinizes the multifaceted realm of ferritic stainless steels (FSSs), highlighting their essential role across diverse industrial sectors. It synthesizes fundamental concepts encompassing manufacturing processes, deformation mechanisms, heat treatment effects, surface modifications, and alloying elements, along with theoretical modeling to analyze the complex relationship of FSS properties. Microstructural control and precipitation kinetics are pivotal for optimizing FSS for demanding environments. Furthermore, theoretical frameworks, including Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov, Arrhenius, and other interrelated theories, address the kinetics and plausible phase transformations in FSS. The novelty of this review lies in providing a comprehensive perspective, containing all aforementioned processing aspects alongside resulting properties in terms of microstructural and textural evolution across interconnected real-world applications. By synthesizing critical concepts from material selection, optimization of production, market considerations, end-user requirements, and future research directions, this review bridges key knowledge gaps in the field. The literature reveals the microstructural and textural evolution, nucleation mechanisms, and enhancement in properties during processing and heat treatments. Ultimately, this work provides a roadmap for guiding the optimization of FSS for advanced, high-performance applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 3","pages":"1201-1225"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/srin.202500510","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}