Elasto-Viscoplastic Material Model of a Directly-Cast Low-Carbon Steel at High Temperatures

A model-based process control of material production processes demands realistic material models describing the local evolution of the thermal and mechanical state variables, i.e., temperature, stress, strain, or plastic strain, for the relevant microstructure state. In the present work, a material model for the specific microstructure in a continuously cast strand shell, viable for reproducing cyclic viscoplastic effects, was developed for a 0.17 wt.% C steel. Experimental data was generated using directly-cast samples and a well-controllable testing facility to apply representative loading conditions. Displacement- and force-controlled experiments in the temperature range of 700–1100 °C were conducted, with a special focus on the relevant strain rates documented for the straightening operation. A temperature-dependent constitutive material model combining elastic, plastic, and viscoplastic effects was parameterized to fit the whole set of experimentally-determined material response curves. In order to account for the cyclic plastic material response, a combination of isotropic and kinematic hardening was considered. The material model sets a new standard for the material description of a continuously cast strand shell, and it can be applied in elaborate continuous casting simulations.