Effect of solidification models on predicting susceptibility of carbon steels to solidification cracking

Carbon steels can be sensitive to solidification cracking. Predicting their susceptibility to solidification cracking can save cost and time compared to testing, and it can be very useful for designing new steels or welds. Crack susceptibility predictions were made for carbon steels using the recently proposed simple susceptibility index for cracking during solidification, maximum │dT/d(fS)1/2│ near the end of solidification (T temperature and fs fraction solid). T vs. (fS)1/2 curves of the carbon steels were calculated by three different solidification models: equilibrium, Scheil, and Scheil with back diffusion of the available commercial thermodynamic software. The crack susceptibility predictions based on these solidification models were compared to various crack susceptibility test results of carbon steels, and the predictions based on Scheil with back diffusion were found consistent with the most of the crack susceptibility test results. Solidification temperature ranges of the carbon steels, determined based on the solidification models of equilibrium, Scheil, and Scheil with back diffusion, were used to explain the crack susceptibility predictions. The role of the alloying elements of the carbon steels in solidification cracking susceptibility was discussed.