Steel Billet Defects and Quality Checks
Common billet defects, what causes them and which tests find them.
Centre segregation and porosity
Elements concentrate in the last steel to freeze, at the centre. Porosity can form with it. Good casting control and enough rolling or forging reduction limit the effect.
Surface cracks
Cracks form from thermal stress or poor mould conditions. Surface inspection and grinding remove them.
Inclusions
Oxides and sulphides reduce fatigue life. Ladle refining and degassing reduce them.
Tests
Chemistry by optical emission spectrometer, oxygen-nitrogen-hydrogen gas analysis, PMI to check grade, ultrasonic testing for internal soundness and a radioactive contamination check where required.
Supply conditions
Check the condition on the order: as cast, heat treated, spot ground or fully ground. Kesari Alloys' guarantee on chemistry applies while the material is in the uncut stage.
Related guides
Continuous Casting Process for Steel Billets
How liquid steel becomes a solid billet in continuous casting, and what controls quality.
What Is a Steel Billet? Sizes, Grades and Uses
A plain guide to steel billets: how they are made, typical sizes, grades and where they are used.
Billet Supply Conditions: Grinding, Heat Treatment and Terms
What to check on a billet order: cutting, heat treatment, spot or full grinding, weight tolerance and the chemistry guarantee.
Billet size chart · Weight calculator · Steel grade directory