Technology for Producing a Low-Alloy Martensitic 10Kh3A Steel with an Overequilibrium Nitrogen Content

Abstract

Dense defect-free 10Kh3A steel ingots with an overequilibrium nitrogen content (0.1–0.17 wt %) are formed by electroslag remelting under nitrogen pressure in a DEShP 0.1 pilot furnace (All-Russia Institute of Aviation Materials). A method is developed for calculating the solubility of nitrogen in multicomponent melts, including model steels, under its atmospheric and working pressure in the furnace chamber. This method determines the nitrogen content in liquid and solid metals and can be used to form 10Kh3A steel ingots with a dense homogeneous structure. Distributions of nitrogen and other alloying elements over the ingot height and cross section are found. The calculated nitrogen solubility in the metal is in agreement with experiment one.