Boron effects on the solidification of steel during continuous casting

The addition of boron to steel introduces the possibility of steel initially completely solidifying and then remelting in the interdendritic regions at very low carbon levels. For all carbon levels, a low melting Fe-B alloy exists as a liquid down to around 1100°C. This liquid is found in steel with as low as 0.0004% boron due to the boron segregation. The persistence of this liquid leads to hot shortness, breakouts, and other casting defects. Pseudo-binary phase diagrams for low boron concentrations have been developed using ThermoCalc software and were confirmed using experimental techniques.