Causes of Cracks in ASTM A588 Grade C Steel Plates

ASTM A588 Grade C steel containing copper often suffers from electrical cracking problems during the production process. Cracks in copper-containing ASTM A588 Grade C steel sheets are commonly observed during high-temperature heating and rolling of the billet, but are easily observed after cooling. Cracking of ASTM A588 Grade C steel plate is also known as copper embrittlement, red embrittlement, hot embrittlement or hot cracking.

If the ASTM A588 Grade C steel plate has been thermally cracked during the heating process, it will cause more severe cracking due to stress in the subsequent rolling or forging process. The surface hot embrittlement of ASTM A588 Grade C steel plate is caused by liquid embrittlement. In the final analysis, during the heating and deformation process of ASTM A588 Grade C steel plate, a low melting point copper-rich liquid phase is formed and penetrates into the grain boundary, resulting in the decrease of grain boundary strength.

Therefore, the hot brittleness of the copper-containing ASTM A588 Grade C steel plate is closely related to the oxidizing atmosphere, the content and permeability of the copper-rich phase and other factors. Reducing the penetration of copper-rich liquid phase in the grain boundaries of ASTM A588 Grade C steel sheet can significantly inhibit the occurrence of hot brittleness on the surface of ASTM A588 Grade C steel sheet.