Sulfur -- Some Effects On Steel Processing And Steel Properties ? Introduction

Drawing largely on desulfurizing practices which have been developing abroad in the last several years, this paper will cover the main ways in which producing steels with low sulfur provides appreciable benefits -- beginning with improvements in ingot processing and carrying over into improved product properties, in particular cleanliness, formability, notch toughness and weldahility. Because the raw materials and fuels used in steelmaking are sources of sulfur and the removal of this element is difficult, sulfur has tended to be accepted as an unavoidable incidental contaminant of steel. Although it was early recognized that sulfur significantly affects several mechanical properties, the main concern was with its effect on hot shortness. Concentrating on countering this effect, operators have traditionally added manganese in sufficient multiples of the sulfur content to form manganese sulfide and thus avoid iron sulfide formation, the assumption being that the steel would then be acceptable in terms of both processing and mechanical properties.