Pinholes in steel slabs.
Excessive Dissolved Gases in Liquid Steel:-
Hydrogen (H₂): Main culprit for pinholes. Comes from moisture
in raw materials, refractories, ladles, or tundish.
Nitrogen (N₂): Can be introduced through air absorption or
improper argon purging.
Oxygen (O₂): High dissolved oxygen can combine with carbon to
produce CO gas (a cause of pinholes).
Improper Deoxidation Practices:-
Insufficient or imbalanced use of deoxidizers (Al, Si, Mn, etc.)
can leave excess oxygen.
Reoxidation after ladle treatment or during tundish transfer
causes further gas formation.
Improper Al treatment may result in excessive alumina inclusions
and poor floatation, indirectly promoting pinholes.
High Moisture in Refractories or Additives:-
Tundish powder, mold flux, or ladle linings with high moisture can
release hydrogen gas during casting.
Mold and Secondary Cooling Issues:-
Inadequate or non-uniform cooling can lead to surface
solidification problems, trapping gases.
Mold level fluctuations can cause air aspiration and surface
pinholes.
Overheating or undercooling in the mold may result in improper
shell formation.
Improper Argon Purging or Ladle/Tundish Operation:-
Argon is used for stirring and preventing reoxidation.
If flow is too low → Ineffective stirring, leads to gas and inclusion
entrapment.
→
If too high Turbulence introduces air or causes slag
entrapment.
Steel Composition Effects:-
High carbon steels (like for forgings) have a greater risk due to
CO formation.
Low-oxygen steel grades (e.g., IF steel) are more sensitive to
hydrogen pickup and pinholes.
Slag Carryover:-
Slag from ladle to tundish can introduce inclusions and gases.
This may lead to local gas formation in slab center or surface.
Ineffective vacuum degassing (VD/VOD/RH) can leave hydrogen
or nitrogen levels too high.
Diagnostics/Control:-
Use hydrogen meters or thermal analysis to monitor H content.
Ensure proper preheating of ladle and tundish.
Maintain dry and clean mold flux(Casting Powder) and tundish
powder.
Perform argon flow optimization and tundish curtain controls.
Implement slag detection systems to prevent carryover.
