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About UsTsisco Industrial Ltd. was established in 2010. Originating from the Tsingshan ecosystem’s Shanghai platform, the company now operates independently and focuses on global supply-chain integration, distribution, and import/export of steel and alloy materials. We achieved ISO 9001 certification from TÜV Rheinland in 2012, and ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications from LRQA in 2022. These accreditations underpin continuous improvement and stable performance in quality, environment, and occupational health & safety.
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Products & Solutions
Stainless Continuously Cast Slabs
Stainless Continuously Cast Slabs
Continuous Cast Stainless Slab | Global Sourcing for Engineering & Procurement
I. Product Positioning and Application Scope
1. Positioning
A continuous casting stainless slab is a rectangular semi-finished product produced via electric arc furnace or basic oxygen furnace (EAF or BOF) steelmaking, refined by argon oxygen decarburization or vacuum oxygen decarburization (AOD or VOD), and then cast through tundish, mold, secondary cooling, straightening, and fixed-length cutting. It is the upstream feedstock for hot-rolled coils and plates, and can also serve as the mother slab for forging, ring rolling, and explosion cladding.
2. Applicability
Intended for hot-strip mills, plate mills, hot-rolled stainless strip, clad plates, and forging or ring-rolling lines. Suitable for plate product chains requiring high internal soundness, low segregation, and high surface quality. Slabs are semi-finished and are not used directly as pressure equipment or pipeline finished materials; code compliance is fulfilled during downstream hot rolling, heat treatment, and inspection.
3. Process Boundary
By thickness: thin slab about 50–110 mm (CSP or ESP), conventional slab about 150–250 mm, extra-thick slab up to 450–600 mm. Thin slabs target hot-strip rolling; conventional and extra-thick slabs cover plate, heavy plate, and premium applications.
II. Standards Matrix (Procurement View)
Note: slabs do not have a single finished-product standard. They are controlled by a combination of chemistry and cleanliness methods, internal quality methods, and size and documentation, and are interfaced to downstream product standards.
1. Chemistry and Grade Mapping
ISO 15510 (stainless chemistry mapping), GB/T 20878 (China stainless and heat-resistant steel chemistry). Purchase orders may specify windows for low S/P, inclusion rating, and inclusion morphology.
2. Metallurgical Cleanliness and Macrostructure
ASTM E45 or ISO 4967 (microscopic inclusions), ASTM E381 (macro-etch examination for banded segregation, center porosity, and shrinkage cavities).
3. Internal Soundness and Ultrasonic Testing
According to the mill’s slab UT practice; engineering may reference the philosophy of EN 10160 (plate UT) for S/E classes to agree on coverage, zoning, and reflectivity thresholds. Acceptance methodology must be defined in the contract.
4. Material Certificates and Records
EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 material test certificates. Establish a technical interface to downstream standards such as ASTM A240, EN 10088-2, and GB/T 3280.
III. Scenario—Material—Standard—Size Mapping (Quick Match)
1. General equipment plate chain
Material: 304L, 316L. Standards/Methods: ISO 15510 + ASTM E45 + ASTM E381; UT referencing EN 10160 philosophy. Size: conventional slab thickness 150–250 mm, width 700–2200 mm, length 4–12 m.
2. Seawater and high-chloride plate chain
Material: 2205, 2507. Standards/Methods: controlled nitrogen window; tighter macrosegregation and UT than conventional. Size: conventional or extra-thick slabs as specified.
3. High-temperature oxidation and carburization-resistant chain
Material: 310S, 904L, 6Mo or nickel-based route mother slabs. Standards/Methods: Mo/Ni fluctuation control + macro-etch and UT. Size: conventional or extra-thick slabs as specified.
4. Ultra-thin hot-strip route
Material: common austenitic and ferritic families. Standards/Methods: surface and edge-quality priority; macro/UT per project. Size: thin slab 50–110 mm, width 900–2000 mm, length 5–12 m.
5. Heavy plate route
Material: 316L, 2205, 310S, etc. Standards/Methods: ASTM E381 macro-etch + deep UT tightened. Size: extra-thick slabs 450–600 mm.
IV. Size Range and Tolerances (Common Engineering Window)
Thickness: thin slab about 50–110 mm (some ESP up to about 130 mm); conventional slab about 150–250 mm; extra-thick slab up to 450–600 mm. Width: about 700–2200 mm. Length: about 4–12 m. Straightness, camber, and twist per mill standards and contractual limits. Define end-face squareness, corner integrity, and notch radius in the order. Agree the maximum allowable grinding depth, marking, and re-inspection procedure.
V. Manufacturing Flow and Key Controls
Steelmaking and refining: EAF or BOF → AOD or VOD, with optional vacuum and calcium treatment; low S/P, controlled inclusion type and size; nitrogen window for austenitic and duplex grades.
Continuous casting: stable solidification front and secondary cooling; electromagnetic stirring (EMS) and soft reduction to reduce center segregation and shrinkage, improving soundness and equiaxed ratio; hot straightening and fixed-length cutting.
Surface and edges: in-line or off-line grinding and scarfing to remove entrapments, shell cracks, laps; re-inspect surface before hot rolling.
VI. Quality Inspection and Documentation
Chemistry and cleanliness: heatside and product-side spectrometry, O/N/H if required; inclusions per ASTM E45 or ISO 4967.
Macro and internal quality: macro-etch per ASTM E381; UT per mill practice and contractual class, with coverage/zoning/thresholds referencing EN 10160 philosophy.
Surface quality: 100% visual; after grinding, optional MT or PT sampling and thickness re-measurement.
Release documents: EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certificates including chemistry, macro-etch, UT/NDE, and size records; defect disposition and re-inspection records; full traceability heat-to-slab-to-position.
VII. Supply Forms and Packaging
Forms: thin, conventional, and extra-thick slabs; fixed lengths or batch supply.
Packaging and marking: corner protection, rust prevention, color codes, strapping, spray-marked heat/slab numbers; clear labels for grade, size, weight; export reinforcement and handling instructions.
VIII. Order Checklist (Copy-Ready)
1. Grade and chemistry: per ISO 15510 or GB/T 20878 with S/P/N windows and inclusion control.
2. Size and tolerances: thickness × width × length; straightness, end-face and corner integrity; maximum grinding depth and re-inspection.
3. Internal quality: ASTM E381 sampling ratio and rating; UT coverage, zoning, and acceptance thresholds.
4. Process capability: declare AOD or VOD, EMS and soft reduction, and key casting controls.
5. Identification and traceability: heat-slab-segment (head/tail/middle) and barcoding; loading and stacking.
6. Documents: EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2; chemistry, macro-etch, UT, size, and defect disposition records.
7. Downstream interface: target downstream standard and element control strategy; surface conditioning level and reheating window.
IX. Selection Guide (One-Line Match)
General plate chain: 304L/316L conventional slabs. Seawater/high-chloride: 2205/2507 with tightened macro/UT. High-temp and carburization-resistant: 310S, 904L, 6Mo or nickel-based mother slabs. Ultra-thin hot strip: thin slabs. Heavy plate chain: extra-thick slabs with enhanced internal soundness control.
X. Procurement, Construction, and O&M Risks
Do not apply finished product standards to slabs; use a semi-finished control logic of chemistry + internal quality + size and surface. Macro-etch and UT must both be specified to avoid center shrinkage and segregation. Do not mix thin, conventional, and extra-thick slab windows. Define grinding limits and re-inspection. Align head-tail cropping, reheating window, and surface conditioning with the hot-rolling mill to ensure yield.
XI. Representative Spec Lines (Examples)
1. Slab, 304L, 200 mm × 1500 mm × 8000 mm; chemistry per ISO 15510; ASTM E45 and ASTM E381 passed; UT per contract referencing EN 10160 philosophy; EN 10204 3.1.
2. Slab, 2205, 220 mm × 1800 mm × 9000 mm; controlled nitrogen window; tightened macro and UT acceptance; EN 10204 3.2.
3. Slab, 310S, 250 mm × 1300 mm × 6000 mm; Mo/Ni fluctuation control; E381 macro-etch and UT passed; EN 10204 3.1.
XII. Representative Global Producers (Alphabetical, Examples)
Aperam, Acerinox, Outokumpu, POSCO, Nippon Steel Stainless (NSSC), Thyssenkrupp, Qingshan (Tsingshan), Delong, Zhangjiagang Pohang Stainless (ZPSS), TISCO, Baowu Stainless. Manufacturing windows vary by mill; order to mill datasheets and contract terms.
Stainless Steel Continuous Casting Slabs｜Technical Specification
I. Product Definition and Scope of Use
1) Definition
Stainless steel continuous casting slabs are rectangular prism semi-finished products produced by steelmaking in an electric arc furnace or basic oxygen furnace (EAF/BOF), followed by secondary refining via argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) or vacuum oxygen decarburization (VOD), and then ladle → mold (crystallizer) → secondary cooling → straightening → fixed-length cutting. Slabs are primarily feedstock for hot-rolled coil and plate, and may also serve as mother stock for secondary processes such as forging/rolled rings and explosive cladding.
2) Applicability boundaries
• Downstream targets: hot strip/plate mills, medium and heavy plate, hot-rolled stainless strip, explosive clad plate, and feed for pre-forging/ring rolling.
• Quality demands: plate product chains requiring high internal density, low segregation, and high surface quality.
• Regulatory boundary: slabs are semi-finished and are not used directly as finished materials for pressure vessels or pipelines; regulatory compliance is realized at subsequent hot rolling, heat treatment, and inspection stages.
3) Interfaces with adjacent processes
• Thickness classes: thin slab ≈ 50–110 mm (CSP/ESP lines), conventional slab ≈ 150–250 mm, and extra-thick slab up to 450–600 mm; different thickness classes correspond to distinct casting and reheating–rolling windows.
• Suitability: thin slabs primarily feed hot strip mills; conventional and extra-thick slabs cover medium/heavy and extra-thick plate as well as high-end uses.
II. Standards and Specification Matrix (by use and control dimension)
Note: Slabs are semi-finished products and typically do not correspond to a single “product standard.” Control is implemented via “general + contractual” requirements for chemistry, internal quality, dimensions, and surface, and aligned with downstream product standards (e.g., ASTM A240, EN 10088-2). Common “standards + methods” used in engineering practice are listed below.
1) Chemical composition and grade mapping
• ISO 15510: International chemical composition cross-reference for stainless steels.
• GB/T 20878: Chinese designations and chemical compositions for stainless and heat-resisting steels.
• Enterprise/order supplements: enhanced requirements for low sulfur (S), low phosphorus (P), inclusion rating and inclusion morphology (oxides, sulfides) shall be written into the technical agreement.
2) Metallurgical cleanliness and inclusion rating
• ASTM E45 / ISO 4967: Methods and ratings for microscopic nonmetallic inclusions.
3) Macrostructure and control of segregation/shrinkage
• ASTM E381: Macroetch testing of steel for evaluation of banded segregation, center cavities, porosity, and cracks—used for slab macroetch rating.
4) Ultrasonic testing and internal soundness (by agreement)
• Apply the manufacturer’s internal UT procedure for slabs; in engineering, acceptance may be aligned with the concept of EN 10160 (steel plate UT) S/E classes or an equivalent current method to define coverage, zoning, and reflector-equivalent thresholds. The acceptance method must be stated in the contract.
5) Mill certificates and dimensional tolerance documents
• EN 10204 3.1/3.2: Mill test certificates (MTC).
• Dimensions and tolerances: slabs are governed by “mill standard + contractual tolerances.” Common engineering ranges are referenced in Section V.
III. Material Families and Typical Grades (examples, not exhaustive)
• Austenitic: 304/304L, 316/316L, 321, 347, 310S, 904L, 6Mo (UNS S31254).
• Ferritic/ultra-low-impurity ferritic: 409L, 430, 439, 444, etc.
• Duplex/super duplex: 2205 (UNS S32205/1.4462), 2507 (UNS S32750/1.4410).
• Precipitation hardening (per project capability): 17-4PH, etc. (solution/aging windows are realized in downstream hot processing).
Note: At the slab stage, the primary controls are chemical composition, inclusion control, center segregation, and surface quality. Mechanical properties are governed at the downstream coil/plate stage.
IV. Manufacturing Route and Key Metallurgical Controls
1) Steelmaking and secondary refining
• Primary steelmaking: EAF or BOF.
• Refining: AOD or VOD; apply vacuum treatment and calcium treatment as needed.
• Critical controls: low S and low P; inclusion type and size distribution (Al-killed/Ca-treated, Si–Mn systems); nitrogen window (for austenitic and duplex steels).
2) Continuous casting process control
• Crystallizer and secondary cooling: stabilize the solidification front, match casting speed, control oscillation parameters and mold powder to prevent longitudinal and corner cracking.
• Electromagnetic stirring (EMS) and soft reduction: reduce center segregation and shrinkage, improve center soundness and equiaxed grain fraction—standard practice for high-end stainless slabs.
• Straightening and cutting: hot straightening; fixed-length cutting by flame or plasma; strict control of end face and corner quality.
3) Surface and corner conditioning
• Online/offline grinding, scarfing, and surface dressing to remove inclusions, shell cracks, laps, and slag entrapment; perform another surface re-inspection prior to hot rolling.
V. Dimensions, Length, and Tolerances (commonly accepted engineering windows)
The following ranges provide planning windows for procurement and engineering; contractual tolerances and mill capability prevail.
• Thickness:
— Thin slab (CSP/ESP): about 50–110 mm (some ESP configurations up to approx. 130 mm).
— Conventional slab: about 150–250 mm (industry mainstream).
— Extra-thick slab: up to 450–600 mm (extra-heavy plate route, limited high-end lines).
• Width: about 700–2200 mm (capability depends on caster and grade).
• Length: about 4–12 m (optimized to hot rolling pitch and furnace length).
• Straightness, camber, and twist: per mill standard and contractual limits (typically several millimeters per meter, set by project).
• Cutting and end faces: agree on end-face squareness, corner integrity, and notch radiusing.
• Permissible grinding allowance: the contract shall state maximum single-side grinding depth, marked repair zones, and re-inspection methods to ensure downstream rolling yield and surface quality.
VI. Quality Control and Inspection (ITP backbone)
1) Chemistry and cleanliness
• Heat and product spectrometric analysis; full traceability of heat → slab number → position.
• Inclusion ratings per ASTM E45/ISO 4967; perform O/N/H analysis and inclusion morphology assessment as needed.
2) Macrostructure
• Sample per ASTM E381 macroetch to evaluate center looseness, banded segregation, center shrinkage, and cracks; keep photos and rating records.
3) Internal defects and soundness (UT)
• Apply the mill’s UT procedure and contractual acceptance class; by reference to EN 10160 concepts, define full or zoned coverage, reflector-equivalent thresholds, defect location, and re-test workflow.
4) Surface quality
• 100% visual inspection; treat longitudinal/corner cracks, slag entrapment, laps, layered inclusions, and subsurface blowholes in a “mark–repair–re-inspect” loop. After grinding, perform MT/PT spot checks as required and re-measure thickness.
5) Documentation and release
• EN 10204 3.1/3.2 MTC (including chemistry, macroetch, UT/NDE, and dimension records).
• Original in-plant inspection records, defect disposition and re-inspection records, and heat–slab–position traceability lists.
VII. Service–Grade–Control Mapping (text quick reference)
• General equipment plate chain: 304L/316L conventional slabs (150–250 mm), focus on low S/low P, inclusion control, and center soundness; EMS + soft reduction as standard.
• Seawater/high-chloride plate chain: 2205/2507 slabs, emphasize nitrogen window and δ/γ balance potential (realized downstream), and apply tighter UT and macro-segregation control.
• High-temperature oxidation/anti-carburization plate chain: 310S, 904L, 6Mo or Ni-alloy route mother slabs, emphasize Mo and Ni fluctuation control and center soundness.
• Ultra-thin hot strip: thin slabs (50–110 mm) on CSP/ESP lines, with emphasis on surface/corner integrity and prevention of corner/longitudinal cracks.
• Extra-thick plate chain: extra-thick slabs (≥450 mm), emphasize macro-control of center segregation/porosity and deep UT.
VIII. Ordering Essentials (insert directly into RFQ/PO/technical agreement)
1. Grade and chemistry: specify targets and permissible deviations per ISO 15510/GB/T 20878 (including S, P, N and inclusion control).
2. Dimensions and tolerances: thickness × width × length; straightness, end-face and corner integrity; maximum grinding depth.
3. Internal quality: sampling ratio and rating for macroetch (ASTM E381); UT coverage and acceptance class (by EN 10160 concept or the mill’s current procedure).
4. Metallurgical controls: AOD/VOD refining, EMS/soft reduction, and process capability statements for casting speed/oscillation/secondary cooling.
5. Identification and traceability: heat → slab number → segment position (head/tail/middle) and barcoding; loading and stacking method.
6. Documentation: EN 10204 3.1/3.2; chemistry, macroetch, UT, dimensions, and records for surface defect disposition and re-inspection.
7. Downstream interface: when slabs are supplied directly to external hot-rolling mills, agree on surface cleaning class, allowable repair/grinding marks, and reheating temperature windows.
IX. Common Risks and Corrective Actions
• Confusing semi-finished and finished standards: inappropriately applying ASTM A240/A312 finished requirements to slabs; adopt the semi-finished control logic of “chemistry + internal quality + dimensions & surface.”
• Chemistry only without macro/UT: leads to excessive center shrinkage/segregation and rolling cracks; mandate E381 macroetch and UT acceptance.
• Ignoring thickness-class differences: misapplying thin-slab tolerances/surface indices to conventional or extra-thick slabs, or vice versa.
• Undefined grinding limits and re-inspection: over-grinding may cause rolling breakthroughs or expose laminar defects; contract must define limits.
• Missing interface with hot-rolling mills: mismatch in head/tail quality and crop length, reheating windows, and surface cleaning class reduces yield.
X. Representative Dimensional Windows (for engineering planning)
• Thin slab (CSP/ESP): thickness about 50–110 mm, width about 900–2000 mm, length about 5–12 m.
• Conventional slab: thickness about 150–250 mm, width about 700–2200 mm, length about 4–12 m.
• Extra-thick slab: thickness up to 450–600 mm (limited specialty lines).
Note: Actual capability is per the mill’s line manual and the order confirmation.
XI. References and Engineering Basis (selected)
• Crystallizer and thin-slab casting process references: international OEM technical overviews (ESP/CSP) describing 50–90 mm thin-slab ranges and process windows.
• Thickness class overviews: industry literature comparing thin/medium/thick/extra-thick slab classes and capabilities.
• Large stainless steel mill flow descriptions: show conventional slab thickness around 250 mm and width around 0.7–1.8 m as a rule-of-thumb range.
• Common test and evaluation methods: ASTM E45/ISO 4967 (microscopic inclusions), ASTM E381 (macroetch), and EN 10160 concept (UT classes).
XII. Appendix: Alignment with Downstream Finished Standards
• When slabs feed hot-rolled coil or plate, specify downstream target standards (e.g., ASTM A240, EN 10088-2, GB/T 3280) and control strategy for key alloying elements (e.g., Mo, N, Ni fluctuation control) in the technical agreement, and link slab quality clauses for center segregation and UT to downstream defect risks (laminations, inclusions, residual center porosity) to achieve end-to-end quality control.
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