Failure Analysis of Steel work roll( Cast) Neck.

By Shankha Pathak and Din Ahmed Lasker

Material Description

Size: 1103 x 2286 x 4064

Chemical Composition (Specified):
Specified %C %Si %Mn %P %S %Cr %Ni %Mo %V
1.45/1.50 040/0.45 0.90/0.95 <0.035 <0.035 1.05/1.10 0.35/0.40 0.35/0.38 0.15/0.20

Description of the Failure

The roll no. 064652 was broken into 2 pieces from work side neck just after shifting from
turning m/c no 5. The fracture surface shows some color circles. From center to surface
the color changes from bright bluish to straw yellow. The surface was fractured
approximately at an angle of 45 degrees.

History of the roll

Casting:
The roll was cast on in shift. The cast was a static casting type.
Following is the casting parameters:
Chiller Temperature: 120 degree.
Tap temperature: 1530 LRF, 1580 14T Ladle
Inoculation at tapping: Al=0.5kg/T, Fe-Ti= 1.5 kg/T, Ca-Si= 0.5 kg/T rasp.
Pouring temperature: 1468 degrees
Shell holding time : 26 minute.
Shell pouring time: 17 minute.

Heat Treatment Cycle

H /T C Y C LE

1000

800
TE M P (D G C )

600
H /T C Y C LE
400

200

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300

TIM E (H R S )
 Results and Discussion
Sample collection: Two samples are collected. The 1st one is from surface and the 2nd
one from the center of the fractured surface. These two samples were checked for
chemical analysis and microstrural analysis.

Chemical Analysis:

S am p le N o %C %S i %M n %P %S %C r %N i %M o %V
1-S u rface 1.45 0.45 0.83 0.036 0.016 1.00 0.42 0.33 0.15
2-C en tre 2.05 0.55 0.93 0.05 0.015 1.15 0.44 0.42 0.20

Microstructure analysis:
Following are the Microstructure of center and the surface at 100x and also in 500x.

Microstructure of Center

Fig: 1.The microstructure of center at 100x. The grains are coarse in size.

Fig: 2. The microstructure of the center at 500x.The white region at Grain

Boundary is Chromium Carbide. The Hardness of the White region is 1250 mhv.
 Microstructure of the Surface

Fig:-3. The microstructure of the surface at 100x. The microstructure is fine

mixture of uniformly distributed carbide, pearlite and bainite.

Fig:-4. The microstructure of the surface at 500x.The Hardness of the matrix is 376
Mhv.

Upon thorough examination of the microstructure of center and surface it is confirmed

that precipitation of Chromium carbide (Hardness is 1250 Mhv) took place at grain
boundaries and the grains are found to be coarse in nature at center.

By comparing the chemical compositions of the center and surface of the casting it was
found that the center has a higher carbon and chromium content compare to the surface.
Which is a clear case of segregation at the center, which results in micro segregation or
coring. This is due to the fact that as the metal solidifies it rejects the solute particles and
thus the center is enriched with solute resulting in coring. Consequently crack generates
and propagates towards the surface.

The grain boundary precipitation occurred during solidification or may be during

tempering process due to non uniform homogenization at neck