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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 February 2012
Macrosegregation is harmful to the material properties (strength, corrosion resistance, etc.) and it must be avoided or eliminated from castings. In this work, macrosegregation behavior is evaluated in terms of silicon concentration in cast ingots of steels with 0.5, 1.5 and 3 wt% Si. The dimensions of the castings are 25x30x12.5 cm. The Si segregation profiles are evaluated in three zones: upper, middle and bottom of each ingot. The characterization is carried out by energy dispersive spectrometry in at least 10 positions of each zone of the ingot. Silicon analysis is evaluated from the surface to the centre of each ingot. The experimental results are compared with predictions using an Experimental Segregation Index (ESI) and the Scheil Segregation Index (SSI). The experimental results show a strong deviation from the profiles predicted by the Scheil model. The evaluation of the degree of segregation by "ESI" indicates little variation of silicon from the surface to the center of the ingot showing a uniform distribution across the ingot analyzed.