The continuous casting copper mould plate is the core component in the continuous casting process, and its performance directly affects the quality of the ingot, production efficiency and equipment operating cost. Since the mold copper plate works in extreme environments of high temperature, high pressure, strong wear and thermal fatigue, its life is seriously challenged. Therefore, the longevity research of the mold copper plate has become an important topic in the field of continuous casting technology. This paper will systematically review the current status of research on longevity of continuous casting mold copper plates from the aspects of material improvement, surface treatment, cooling optimization and intelligent monitoring, and explore future development trends.
Material improvement
High thermal conductivity copper alloy:
Current status: The widely used mold copper plate materials are chromium zirconium copper (CuCrZr) and silver copper (CuAg), which have high thermal conductivity, mechanical strength and thermal fatigue resistance.
Research progress:
Rare earth element addition: By adding rare earth elements (such as La and Ce), the grains are refined and the high temperature strength and wear resistance of copper alloys are improved.
Nano-strengthening: Introducing nanoparticles (such as Al₂O₃, SiC) into the copper matrix significantly improves the hardness and thermal fatigue resistance of the material.
Composite materials:
Current situation: Traditional copper alloys still have wear and thermal fatigue problems under extreme conditions.
Research progress:
Ceramic reinforced copper-based composite materials: By introducing ceramic particles (such as Al₂O₃, SiC) or carbon fibers, the wear resistance and thermal fatigue resistance of the material are significantly improved.
Functional gradient materials: Designing copper-based composite materials with gradient structures so that the material has different properties in different parts to adapt to complex working environments.
Surface treatment technology
Surface coating:
Current situation: Commonly used surface coating technologies include electroplating chrome, thermal spraying and chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
Research progress:
Nano coating: Multilayer coatings using nanotechnology (such as CrN, TiN) have higher hardness and wear resistance.
Gradient coating: Through gradient design, the bonding between the coating and the base material is made stronger and the risk of peeling is reduced.
Surface modification:
Current situation: Laser surface cladding and plasma surface treatment are commonly used surface modification technologies.
Research progress:
Laser alloying: The laser beam forms an alloy layer on the surface of the copper plate, which significantly improves the surface hardness and wear resistance.
Ion implantation: Inject nitrogen, carbon and other elements into the surface of the copper plate to form a hardened layer and extend the service life.
Cooling optimization
Cooling water channel design:
Current situation: The traditional straight hole cooling water channel has the problem of uneven cooling.
Research progress:
Spiral water channel: By optimizing the water channel design, the flow efficiency of cooling water is improved to ensure the uniform distribution of the temperature of the copper plate.
Partition cooling: According to the heat load of different parts of the copper plate, a partition cooling system is designed to achieve precise temperature control.
Cooling medium improvement:
Current situation: Ordinary cooling water is prone to bubbles under high heat load, which affects the cooling effect.
Research progress:
Nanofluid: Add nanoparticles (such as Al₂O₃, CuO) to the cooling water to improve its thermal conductivity and cooling efficiency.
Phase change cooling: Use phase change materials (such as paraffin) to absorb and release heat to stabilize the temperature of the copper plate.
Intelligent monitoring
Temperature monitoring:
Current situation: The traditional thermocouple temperature measurement method has the problems of slow response and low accuracy.
Research progress:
Infrared temperature measurement: Use infrared thermal imager to monitor the surface temperature distribution of the copper plate in real time and find hot spots in time.
Fiber optic sensing: Use fiber optic sensors embedded in the copper plate to achieve high-precision temperature monitoring.
Wear monitoring:
Current situation: The wear of copper plates is usually checked by regular shutdown, which affects production efficiency.
Research progress:
Ultrasonic detection: The thickness change of copper plates is monitored online by ultrasonic probes to evaluate the degree of wear.
Machine vision: The surface condition of copper plates is monitored in real time using high-resolution cameras and image processing algorithms.
Intelligent early warning system:
Current situation: Traditional maintenance strategies are mostly regular inspections, which lack pertinence.
Research progress:
Big data analysis: By collecting and analyzing production data, the remaining life of copper plates is predicted and optimized maintenance plans are formulated.
Artificial intelligence: Using machine learning algorithms, abnormal conditions of copper plates are identified to achieve intelligent early warning and fault diagnosis.
Application Cases
A domestic steel plant:
Improvement measures: Use nano coatings and spiral cooling water channels.
Effect: The life of the copper plate is extended by 30%, and the quality of the ingot is significantly improved.
An international steel company:
Improvement measures: Introduce fiber optic temperature sensing and intelligent early warning systems.
Effect: Real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance of the copper plate are achieved, reducing downtime.
Future development trends
Material innovation:
Develop new copper-based composite materials with high thermal conductivity and high wear resistance.
Explore the application of nanomaterials and functional gradient materials.
Surface technology:
Develop multi-layer nano coatings and laser surface alloying technology.
Study self-healing coatings to improve the durability of copper plates.
Cooling system:
Optimize the design of cooling water channels to improve cooling uniformity and efficiency.
Develop new cooling media such as nanofluids and phase change materials.
Intelligence:
Promote intelligent monitoring and early warning systems to achieve full life cycle management of copper plates.
Combining Industry 4.0 technology to create an intelligent continuous casting production line.
Conclusion
The research on the longevity of copper plates in continuous casting molds has made significant progress in material improvement, surface treatment, cooling optimization and intelligent monitoring. By adopting new copper alloys, advanced coating technology, optimized cooling system and intelligent monitoring methods, the service life of copper plates and the quality of ingots have been significantly improved. In the future, with the continuous development of new materials and new technologies, the performance of copper plates in molds will be further improved, providing strong support for efficient and high-quality production in the continuous casting industry.
