The formation mechanism of Mn–Al–O inclusions in Fe–Cr–Mn stainless steel during continuous casting is investigated by industrial trials and thermodynamic calculation. The morphology, composition, and size distribution of inclusions in steel specimens are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The main inclusions change from spherical Ca–Si–O and Ca–Si–Mn–O inclusions during LF refining to Mn–Al–O inclusions in continuous casting slab and hot‐rolled sheet. The size of most Mn–Al–O inclusions containing high MnO content is smaller than 4 µm. The formation of these inclusions is consistent with thermodynamic calculation, which indicates that MnO and Al2O3 inclusions are formed during continuous casting process. The calculation results of MnO and Al2O3 inclusions growth shown that the size of MnO inclusion (4 µm) is much larger than that of Al2O3 inclusion (0.4 µm) at the end of solidification, which also accords with the characteristics of inclusions in continuous casting slab and hot‐rolled sheet.

The formation mechanism of inclusions in Si-killed 304 stainless steel was studied by industrial experiments during GOR refining process and thermodynamic calculations. A lager number of CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-MnO-CrOx liquid spherical inclusions with different size (from 1 μm to 22 μm) had been found after deoxidization of FeSi alloy in 10 minutes. The calculation result of FactSage 6.3 software assisted in confirming that the inclusions in size of less than 5 μm that had less than 30 % CaO mainly came from the deoxidation of FeSi alloy with Ca and Al. The inclusions in size of more than 5 μm that had more than 30 % CaO mainly came from the modification of involved slag droplets through the oxidation of Si and Al and the collision with deoxidation-type inclusions, and the degree of change was bigger for smaller inclusions. The MgO in slag and refractory was reduced by Si and Al in steel, which leaded to the unceasingly increase of Mg content in steel. Subsequently, SiO2, MnO and CrOx in inclusion were reduced by Mg, which resulted in the increase of MgO content in inclusion and the degree of increase of MgO content was greater for the larger size of inclusions.

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