Continuous method for producing final gauge stainless steel product

Abstract

A continuous process line for converting hot rolled stainless steel strip to final gauge product is provided. The stainless steel strip has a scale formed on the surface thereof. The steel strip is introduced to a rolling mill to reduce the thickness of the hot rolled stainless steel to a final gauge thickness and tolerance. The rolling mill also cracks the scale on the surface of the final gauge thickness strip. An annealing section anneals the final gauge thickness strip received from the rolling mill. A pickling section pickles the annealed strip from the annealing section and removes the scale from the surface. Preferably, a molten salt bath section provided between the annealing section and the pickling section conditions the scale cracked in the cold rolling section and passes the conditioned stainless steel to the pickling section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates the field of treating hot rolled stainless strip and strip cast and, more particularly, to a method for converting hot rolled stainless steel strip and strip cast to a final gauge product in a continuous operation.

2. Description of the Background Art

The most widely used procedure for converting hot rolled or strip cast stainless steel (hot band) into a final gauge cold rolled product consists of converting the hot band to an annealed, shot blasted, and pickled "white band" and subsequently cold rolling that product to final gauge. Extensive cold rolling of the strip is necessary to produce a smooth surface. This extensive cold rolling is necessary because shot blasting and other surface cleaning steps are used to crack and remove the scale that forms on the surface of the stainless steel strip during hot rolling and strip casting. The cold rolling step is also necessary to bring the thickness of the hot band and strip cast strip to within cold-rolled tolerances even when the hot band or strip cast band can be produced to a gauge normally obtained by cold rolling.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,179 is representative of the typical procedure for forming a final gauge product from hot band. Therein, the hot band is converted to a cold rolled product by cold rolling, annealing and pickling. However, the cold rolled product formed by that process has a shot-blasted finish and thus is in a condition requiring subsequent processing to final gauge. It is not itself in a final gauge condition. Rather, the cold rolled product must still be subsequently rolled to final gauge.

The extensive cold rolling required by the prior processes limits the ability of the hot band to be converted into a final gauge product in a single, continuous operation. This adds both time and cost to the final gauge production. Accordingly, there is a need for a continuous process for converting hot band and strip cast into final gauge product which does not require extensive cold rolling of the stainless steel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method for converting hot rolled stainless steel strip to a final gauge product has been provided in which shot blasting may not be needed to remove the scale. In the present method, the strip is cold rolled to reduce the thickness of the steel to a final gauge thickness. This cold rolling of the steel cracks the scale on the surface of the strip. The steel can then be annealed and pickled as in known procedures. In the pickling step, the scale is removed from the surface of the steel. If desired, the annealed strip can be introduced to a molten salt bath to condition the scale on the surface of the strip prior to the annealed strip being pickled.

The present method can be performed in a single, continuous line or, if desired, can be performed as separate discrete stages. If performed in a continuous line, the final gauge steel product can be processed at significant time and cost efficiencies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic isometric view of the process line for reducing hot rolled stainless steel to final gauge product in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 2a-2b are photomicrographs comparing the microstructure of the surface of a typical stainless steel and the microstructure of a stainless steel formed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 3a-3b are photomicrographs comparing the surface of a stainless steel formed in accordance with the present invention showing evidence of residual hot band in the core and the surface of a stainless steel formed in accordance with the present invention showing no evidence of residual hot band in the core.

FIGS. 4a-4b are photomicrographs showing the microstructure of the surface of the head of a coil and the tail of the same coil formed under different parameters in accordance with the present invention,

FIGS. 5a-5b are photomicrographs showing the microstructure of the surface of the head of a coil and the tail of the same coil formed under different parameters in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic representation of the process line of the present invention. It should be noted that the line is much more complex than indicated herein. For example, the furnace section generally consists of heating zones, holding and cooling zones, and a pickle section generally consists of several tanks containing pickling chemicals, together with washing and drying equipment to remove the chemicals. Moreover, the cold rolling mill includes work rolls, intermediate rolls, back-up rolls and may also include side support rolls.

The main elements of the process line include a payoff, or uncoiler 1, on which the hot rolled stainless steel coils are loaded, and from which they are uncoiled. A shear 2 cuts the coil ends to prepare them for welding. Welder 3 joins the end of successive coils to form a continuous strip. A pair of pinch rolls 4 and 4a position the rearward end of a coil ready for shearing to position it against the nose of the next coil to which it will be welded.

After the strip has been welded together, the continuous strip passes through cold rolling mill 5 which includes a plurality of mill stands. A tension bridle consisting of two or more bridle rolls 6 and 6a at the entry side of mill 5 is preferably provided. Bridle rolls 6 and 6a are driven (or braked) by electric motors (drag generators) 7 and 7a by means of spindles 8 and 8a. A tension bridle consisting of two or more bridle rolls 9 and 9a are also provided on the exit side of mill 5. Pass line rollers 10 and 11 define the travel path of the strip 12 through mill 5. Roller 13 at the exit side of bridle rolls 9 and 9a defines the path of strip 12 to a entry storage loop. If desired, a strip washer, not shown, may be provided between the cold rolling mill 5 and the exit bridle rolls 9 and 9a.

The entry storage loop consists of fixed rollers 14, 15 and 16 and-a movable roller 17 used to provide strip 12 to the annealing section 18 when the payoff is stopped to allow loading of a new coil and welding of its nose to the tail of the previous coil. Annealing section 18 consists of heating and cooling devices used to soften or anneal the strip. A pickling section 19 comprising tanks of chemicals used to removed impurities from the strip surface and washing equipment to clean the strip is provided downstream of the annealing section. An exit storage loop 20 draws material from the pickle section 19 when the exit shear 21 operates at completion of rewinding a coil at rewinder 22, and during the time the coil is removed prior to feeding the nose end of the next coil to the rewinder 22. Pass line rollers 23, 24 and 25 are used to define the path of the strip. Preferably, a molten salt bath 26 is provided intermediate the annealing section 18 and pickling section 19. Preferably, the molten salt is a kolene-type salt.

In operation, the hot rolled steel product which is introduced into rolling mill 5 has a scale formed on the surface thereof. In rolling mill 5, where the steel product is reduced to final gauge thickness, the scale on the surface of the stainless strip 12 is cracked. This cracked scale is conditioned in molten salt bath section 26 and finally removed in pickling section 19.

Preferably, black band steel is provided having a thin, uniform oxide of 2 .mu.M or less by laminar cooling the as-rolled band from the rolling temperature to under 800.degree. C. The black band should have a thickness in the range of 0.060 inches to 0.300 inches in thickness. During cold rolling, the thickness of the band is reduced from 10% to 80%.

Using the process of the present invention, a final gauge product can be produced which is 2 D cold rolled stainless steel having a surface roughness equal or less than 80.mu. in R.sub.a (1.5 .mu.M). After temper-passing, the final product becomes 2 B having a surface roughness of less than or equal to 60.mu. in R.sub.a (1.25 .mu.M). The final gauge stainless steel is tempered after the steel is pickled.

In the present process, the operations of cold rolling, annealing, molten salt bath dipping and pickling are conducted in a single, continuous line as shown in FIG. 1. However, it is to be distinctly understood that the present invention can be accomplished using separate lines for any or all of the discrete operations. It is to be further understood that the present process can be used to produce a final gauge product from a thin-strip caster. Such strip cast can be processed in accordance with the present invention to achieve the surface smoothness obtained by the hot rolled steel strip. Such strip cast requires the use of a single stand reducing mill.

EXAMPLE 1

A first trial of the present invention was performed in which 0.130" gauge hot bands were finished according to standard practice resulting in a roughly 1450.degree. F. coiling temperature. All bands exhibited a symmetric 3% crown. Cold rolling was accomplished on a Four High roller press using 13" standard 220 grit (Ra=7.mu.) steel work rolls. Coolant concentrations varied in the mill from 3% to 6%.

The coils were reduced 58% to 0.054" nominal gauge. The black band scale pattern resulted in non-uniform roll wear 6" to 8" in from either edge of the strip. This pattern may have been aggravated by the higher coolant concentrations, which appear to cause more dirt or scale to adhere to the work rolls. Excessive roll wear was noted, and three roll changes were required.

This rolling produced final coils having a surface roughness of 30-45.mu. Ra in the crown and 60-100.mu. Ra 6" to 8" in from either edge. The nonuniform hot band scale, the high coolant concentrations and the work rolls themselves were felt to contribute to this variation.

EXAMPLE 2

A second trial was employed using the 0.130" gauge hot bands. In this second trial, the bands were laminar cooled on the final finishing stand to produce coiling temperatures in the range of 1150.degree. F. All of these bands exhibited a 0.005" wedge from edge to edge. Cold rolling was accomplished with a combination of standard 220 grit steel rolls and 250 RA chromium plated electro-discharge-textured (EDT) work rolls. Coolant concentration was aimed at 3%.

All coils were successfully reduced 58% to 0.054" gauge with little difficulty. The first four and a half coils were rolled on a single set of EDT rolls. The balance of the coils were rolled on two sets of standard steel rolls. In all cases, uniform scale breakage was observed across the strip, primarily as a result of laminar cooling.

The final surfaces of the 250.mu. Ra EDT roll coils was somewhat coarse but reasonably uniform, averaging around 110.mu. Ra after pickling. This is rougher than the 20-30.mu. Ra seen typically on production stainless steel surfaces. The surfaces of the coils rolled on the 220 grit rolls were somewhat blotchy.

EXAMPLE 3

A third trial involved a variety of hot band sizes ranging in nominal gauge from 0.080" to 0.095" and 33" to 37" in width. All bands were laminar cold, and only one exhibited a slight wedge. These bands were also edge trimmed where previous rolling had been done on mill edge. Chromium plated 125.mu. Ra EDT rolls were used exclusively for the cold rolling. The total reduction ranged from 36% to 42%, which were accomplished in two to four passes depending on the gauge.

The final surface roughness on these trial coils was fairly uniform, and ranged from 51-78.mu. Ra following pickling. Little difficulty was encountered in the rolling other than the fact the actual gauges of the black bands required more passes than anticipated from the stated nominal gauges. An even fuller utilization of the second set of EDT rolls would have been possible, had more coils been available.

EXAMPLE 4

The coils from Example 1 were annealed at typical parameters of 1800.degree. F. and 45 feet per minute. This resulted in the properties shown in Table 1. These properties would ordinarily be considered acceptable. However, microstructurally, there was a larger variation in grain size within a coil than is typically seen. These larger grains, the variation and surface roughness, and a "orange peel" surface on Oleson Cup samples rendered these samples unacceptable.

TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________ END COIL % NO. TEST- 11-LINE TEN-# # RED PASSES ED TEMP FPM RA RB YIELD SILE ELONG GRAIN R-BAR__________________________________________________________________________1 W1755105 58% 5 H 1800 49 RB 66 42,000 65,100 29% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1800 49 RB 65 41,100 64,400 30% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA2 W175106 58% 5 H 1800 49 RB 62 40,200 63,800 31% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1800 49 RB 64 37,900 61,500 30% RANGE 4-7 5% HB3 W175107 58% 4 H 1800 49 RB 66 39,200 62,700 34% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA Broke at .064 T 1800 49 RB 65 40,900 62,700 27% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA4 W175108 58% 5 H 1800 49 RB 64 38,600 62,800 30% RANGE 5-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1800 49 RB 64 38,400 62,200 30% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN GA5 W175109 58% 5 H 1800 49 RB 63 40,400 63,100 31% RANGE 3-6 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1800 49 RB 64 40,100 63,100 30% RANGE 3-6 GRAIN GA6 W175110 58% 5 H 1800 49 RB 63 41,100 63,100 33% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1800 49 RB 64 37,400 61,100 33% RANGE 3-7 GRAIN GA7 W175111A 58% 5 H 1800 49 RB 64 41,100 64,100 32% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1800 49 RB 65 41,100 63,000 33% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA8 W175111B 58% 5 H 1800 45 RB 63 41,400 66,000 31% RANGE 4-8 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1800 45 RB 65 39,400 62,000 31% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA9 W175112 58% 5 H 1800 49 RB 62 41,500 64,300 30% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1800 49 RB 62 42,100 66,000 28% RANGE 4-6 GRAIN__________________________________________________________________________ GA NOTE: No RA or RBar testing was performed for Trial #1 Coils.

EXAMPLE 5

Because of the rougher surfaces seen on the coils from Example 2, it was decided to anneal the Example 2 coils at standard parameters of 1840.degree. F. and 62 feet per minute. During the course of the annealing, it became apparent that these parameters were "over annealing" the coils and the line speed was increased up to 74 feet per minute. The properties achieved in these coils are shown in Table 2. Again, the properties were acceptable, but the microstructures and surfaces were not.

TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________ END COIL % NO. TEST- 11-LINE TEN-# # RED PASSES ED TEMP FPM RA RB YIELD SILE ELONG GRAIN R-BAR__________________________________________________________________________1 W195589 58% 6 H 1840 74 40 RB 65 39,800 62,800 29% RANGE 4-8 GRAIN GA .130 GA 1-EDT T 1840 74 51 RB 64 38,600 60,400 29% RANGE 3-8 5-220 GRAIN GA2 W195590 58% 5-220 H 1840 62 43 RB 64 39,100 61,100 30% RANGE 1.37 GRAIN GA .130 GA GRIT T 1840 68 55 RB 62 40,100 61,800 33% RANGE 1.25 GRAIN GA3 W195591 58% 5-EDT H 1840 68 43 RB 61 36,800 60,100 30% RANGE 4-8 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1840 68 55 RB 62 36,700 59,800 30% RANGE 2-8 GRAIN GA4 W195592 58% 5-EDT H 1840 68 99 RB 64 39,200 61,500 29% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1840 68 118 RB 63 41,100 65,400 30% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA5 W195593 58% 5-220 H 1840 62 43 RB 62 39,100 60,900 29% RANGE 1.22 GRAIN GA .130 GA GRIT T 1840 62 38 RB 64 38,100 60,300 31% RANGE 3-8 GRAIN GA6 W195594 58% 5 H 1840 74 59 RB 65 40,200 64,300 29% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN GA .130 GA 3-EDT T 1840 74 51 RB 65 40,400 63,500 31% RANGE 4-8 2-220 GRAIN GA7 W195595 58% 5-EDT H 1840 68 126 RB 62 39,500 61,800 30% RANGE 1.32 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1840 68 130 RB 64 40,100 62,500 29% RANGE 4-8 GRAIN GA8 W195596 58% 5-220 H 1840 74 31 RB 65 40,100 62,000 29% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA GRIT T 1840 74 42 RB 65 40,000 62,200 31% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN GA9 W195597 58% 5-220 H 1840 74 42 RB 64 40,000 62,300 29% RANGE 4-8 GRAIN GA .130 GA GRIT T 1840 74 46 RB 66 39,500 61,600 30% RANGE 4-8 GRAIN GA10 W195604 58% 5-EDT H 1840 62 132 RB 62 39,000 60,200 30% RANGE 3-7 GRAIN GA .130 GA T 1840 62 116 RB 61 38,200 66,200 30% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN__________________________________________________________________________ GA NOTE: All coils exhibited a wide range of grain size with very large grains at the surface.

A comparison of a typical microstructure and the microstructure obtained in Example 5 using 250 .mu. Ra EDT rolls is shown in FIG. 2. Large grains appear on the trial coil especially toward the surface of the trial coil. This trial coil was obtained at line speeds 20% faster than normal. Based on the annealing responses seen in the second direct cold rolling trial, a series of laboratory annealing experiments were conducted. The results of these experiments are summarized in Table 3.

TABLE 3__________________________________________________________________________ FURNACE 11-LINE# COIL # TEMP TIME EQUIV RB YIELD TENSILE ELONG GRAIN__________________________________________________________________________ #1 W195591 1840 2 min 50 FPM RB 64 40200 60900 30% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN #52 W195591 Zones 1,2 Annealed on 236 Actual Speed RB 61 36800 60100 30% RANGE 4-8 1865 1 min 28 sec 68 FPM GRAIN #5 2-4 18403 W195591 1840 1 min 21 sec 74 FPM RB 65 39700 62600 29% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN #64 W195591 1840 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 66 39200 61200 30% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN #65 W195591 1820 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 68 39100 61500 29% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN #66 W195591 1800 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 69 40300 62900 29% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN #77 W195591 1780 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 69 40500 64700 32% RANGE 6-8 GRAIN #78 W195591 1840 1 min 3 sec 95 FPM RB 65 39600 63200 29% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN #69 W195591 1840 1 min 100 FPM RB 67 40200 62500 29% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN #710 W195591 1840 50 sec 120 FPM RB 69 43100 66400 30% RANGE 6-8 GRAIN__________________________________________________________________________ #7

EXAMPLE 6

Prior to any production annealing of coils from Example 3, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted. A summary of the data from these experiments is presented in Table 4.

TABLE 4__________________________________________________________________________ FURNACE 11-LINE# COIL # TEMP TIME EQUIV RB YIELD TENSILE ELONG GRAIN # GA/HG__________________________________________________________________________1 W218074 1840 1 min 21 sec 74 FPM RB 67 39700 62300 32% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 GA2 W218074 1840 1 min 9 sec 87 FPR RB 67 40300 63100 27% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 HB3 W218074 1840 1 min 100 FPM RB 67 40600 64400 32% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 GA4 W218074 1820 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM B 68. 40700 64000 32% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN #7 HB5 W218014 1800 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 68 41300 65500 28% RANGE 6-8 GRAIN 7 HB6 W218074 1780 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 67 41100 64600 30% RANGE 6-8 GRAIN 7 GA1 W218078 1840 1 min 21 sec 74 FPM RB 65 40500 62300 34% RANGE 4-8 GRAIN 5 GA2 W218078 1840 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 66 40000 63300 32% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 HB3 W218078 1840 1 min 100 FPM RB 68 41900 65000 35% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 HB4 W218078 1820 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 67 41600 64400 31% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 HB5 W218078 1800 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 67 40700 64200 31% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 HB6 W218078 1780 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM B 65. 41500 64600 30% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 7 HB1 W218110 1840 1 min 21 sec 74 FPM B 67. 41900 64200 28% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN 5 GA2 W218110 1840 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 67 40300 64900 30% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN 5 GA3 W218110 1840 1 min 100 FPM B 66. 42600 66400 32% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 GA4 W218110 1820 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 67 42400 64400 32% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 GA5 W218111 1800 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 66 42500 66500 33% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 GA6 W218110 1780 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 67 43000 66800 29% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 7 GA1 W218111 1840 1 min 21 sec 74 FPM RB 67 42000 63400 29% RANGE 4-7 GRAIN 5 GA2 W218111 1840 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 68 41100 64900 28% RANGE 4-8 GRAIN 5 GA3 W218111 1840 1 min 100 FPM RB 66 43400 66300 23% RANGE 5-8 GRAIN 6 GA4 W218111 1820 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 67 43200 65700 27% RANGE 5-7 GRAIN 6 GA5 W218111 1800 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 68 42500 65900 29% RANGE 6-8 GRAIN 6 GA6 W218111 1780 1 min 9 sec 87 FPM RB 65 43900 67200 28% RANGE 6-8 GRAIN 6 GA__________________________________________________________________________

The results of the experiments for the 125.mu. Ra EDT rolls of Example 3 were similar to those seen in the experiments conducted on the 250.mu. Ra EDT rolls of Example 2. Proper annealing could be obtained at parameters of 1840.degree. F. and 100 feet per minute. However, due to pickling considerations, it was decided to limit the line speed to 87 feet per minute and reduce the temperature to 1800.degree. F.

Another consideration for the direct cold rolling trial in Example 3 was to assess what impact, if any, lower amounts of cold reduction would have on the final annealed microstructures. Production 0.054" gauge J&L grade 409 steel typically receives a 60% cold reduction. Such a large reduction is believed necessary to fully cold work the core to insure a uniform recrystallized and annealed cold worked structure rather than an over-annealed, coarse grained, hot worked structure at the core.

Three out of the six samples tested showed evidence of a coarse residual "hot band" structure in the annealing experiments. FIG. 3 shows a pair of photomicrographs from samples with and without the "hot band" structure.

Coil W218110 was the first coil from Example 3 to be annealed in production. The head of this coil was annealed at 1800.degree. F. and 87 feet per minute by decreasing the speed and temperature at the tail of the coil proceeding it. In an attempt to improve the pickling of this coil, the speed was later reduced to 62 feet per minute and the temperature correspondingly dropped to 1775.degree. F. Photomicrographs of the head and tail of this coil are shown in FIG. 4. Both would be considered acceptable in production.

FIG. 5 shows photomicrographs of coil W184949 which was a production coil annealed just prior to the direct cold rolled coil. The lower photomicrograph of FIG. 6 shows the residual cold work in the tail which resulted when the temperature was decreased and speed increased prior to the head of the direct cold rolled coil. The effects of the faster annealing rate of 125.mu. Ra EDT direct cold rolled coils can be seen by comparing the upper photomicrograph of FIG. 4 to the lower photograph of FIG. 5. These photomicrographs were taken from adjoining head and tail sections and were both annealed at the same parameters.

The remaining coils from Example 3 were annealed at speeds ranging from 100 feet to 72 feet per minute and temperatures from 1775.degree. F. to 1800.degree. F. These variations were primarily made to explore pickling issues. The resulting properties and microstructures are presented in Table 5.

TABLE 5__________________________________________________________________________ END COIL % NO. TEST- 11-LINE TEN-# # RED PASSES ED TEMP FPM RA RB YIELD SILE ELONG GRAIN R-BAR__________________________________________________________________________ 1 W218074 43% 4 H 1775 72 52 RB 66 39,300 64,000 30% RANGE 1.24 10% HB .095 GA T 1780 80 51 RB 66 39,000 62,700 30% RANGE 1.12 10% HB 2 W218075 43% 4 H 1775 72 No test taken at 11-line .095 GA T 1775 72 78 RB 65 41,400 65,000 30% RANGE 1.42 5% HB 3 W218076 43% 4 H 1800 87 54 RB 66 39,700 63,500 31% RANGE 1.40 GRAIN GA .095 GA T 1775 72 75 RB 67 40,700 64,500 30% RANGE 1.27 5% HB 4 W218077 40% 4 H 1800 87 56 RB 65 40,400 64,100 31% RANGE 1.14 5% HB .090 GA T 1800 87 61 RB 66 41,500 65,200 30% RANGE 6-7 GRAIN GA 5 W218078 40% 3 H 1800 87 68 RB 66 40,000 64,000 31% RANGE 1.27 GRAIN GA .090 GA T 1800 100 48 RB 65 40,200 64,700 30% RANGE 1.17 GRAIN GA 6 W218108 43% 4 H 1780 80 57 RB 67 39,700 6,340 31% RANGE 6-7 GRAIN GA .095 GA T 1800 87 58 RB 67 40,500 64,000 30% RANGE 5-6 5% HB 7 W218109 43% 4 H 1800 87 67 RB 65 40,700 64,500 31% RANGE 6-7 5% HB* .095 GA T 1800 87 68 RB 65 39,600 62,900 31% RANGE 5-6 GRAIN GA 8 W218110 43% 4 H 1800 87 61 RB 67 39,900 62,500 32% RANGE 1.24 GRAIN GA .095 GA T 1775 62 76 RB 67 40,700 63,600 31% RANGE 1.36 GRAIN GA 9 W218111 33% 2 H 1800 87 72 RB 66 42,200 63,900 30% RANGE 1.21 GRAIN GA .080 GA T 1780 80 76 RB 67 39,800 64,800 31% RANGE 1.13 5% HB10 W218112 33% 2 H 1800 100 61 RB 67 40,700 64,700 30% RANGE 1.12 10% HB .090 GA T 1800 87 59 RB 63 41,200 64,000 31% RANGE 1.25 GRAIN__________________________________________________________________________ GA *NOTE: Coil cropped back 50 ft. on slitter. Retest micro GA

EXAMPLE 7

The annealed strips from Example 4 were pickled using standard pickle tank configurations. In these configurations, three tanks are used. The first tank is set up with 20% sulfuric acid. The second tank contains 7% nitric acid and 1.5% hydrofluoric acid. The third tank contains 7% nitric acid and 0.25% hydrofluoric acid. The strip is only submerged in the first and third tanks. Dipping the stainless steel into the high nitric/hydrofluoric concentration in the second tank quickly builds up heat and eventually results in NO.sub.x emissions.

The coils from the annealing section of Example 4 were found to contain small amounts of embedded scale when only the first and third pickle tanks were used. In order to remove the embedded scale, it was necessary to partially submerge the strip in the second tank. The bulk of the coils were processed in this manner, while the NO.sub.x emissions were carefully monitored.

EXAMPLE 8

The annealed strips from Example 5 were pickled using the standard pickle tank configurations set forth above. The coils which were directly cold rolled with 250 .mu. Ra EDT rolls were successfully pickled at speeds up to 75 feet per minute with only two tanks being used. However, for the coils rolled on 220 grit steel rolls, it was again necessary to employ all three tanks in order to clean up the steel.

EXAMPLE 9

The annealed coils from Example 6 were pickled using the standard pickle tank configurations set forth above. The work roll roughness decreased to 125.mu. Ra for these rolls did have an impact on pickling. Line speeds were decreased from 87 feet per minute to 62 feet per minute on the first coil in an attempt to use only two pickling tanks. This was not successful and resulted in some embedded scale and a band of loose scale which was readily removed by dipping the strip in the second tank. Increasing the scrubber brush pressure to facilitate removal of the loose scale helped, but did not remove the embedded scale. As a consequence, the majority of these coils were pickled using all three tanks.

Coils rolled on the first set of 125.mu. Ra EDT rolls did not pickle as well as those pickled on the second set. For example, all the coils rolled on the second set of rolls were successfully pickled at 87 feet per minute using three tanks. By contrast, those from the first set were slowed down to 72 feet per minute and three coils exhibited embedded scale which was removed in a subsequent repickling operation.

In the foregoing specification certain preferred practices and embodiments of this invention have been set out, however, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A process line for converting unrecrystallized hot band stainless steel strip to a final gauge product without an annealing section positioned before a rolling mill, said process line comprising the following stations positioned in the sequential order of a rolling mill to reduce the thickness of said unrecrystallized hot band stainless steel to a final gauge thickness and to crack the scale on the surface of said hot band stainless steel strip, an annealing section positioned after said rolling mill to anneal said final gauge thickness strip from said rolling mill, and a pickling section to pickle said annealed strip from said annealing section and remove the scale from said surface of said final gauge thickness strip.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising a molten salt bath section provided intermediate said annealing section and said pickling section to condition the scale cracked in said rolling mill and pass said stainless steel to said pickling section.

3. The process line of claim 2 wherein said molten salt is a kolene type salt.

4. The process line of claim 2 further comprising a temper-pass section to temper-pass the final gauge stainless steel exiting the pickling section.

5. The process line of claim 1 wherein said stainless steel strip is hot rolled stainless steel strip.

6. The process line of claim 1 wherein said stainless steel strip is thin-strip cast.

7. The process line of claim 1 wherein said process line further comprises eliminating the pickling section before the rolling mill.

8. The process line of claim 7 wherein said process line is a continuous process line.

9. The process line of claim 1 wherein said stainless steel strip is J&L 409 grade steel.

10. The process line of claim 1 wherein said final gauge product has a surface roughness no greater than 35.mu. Ra in an untemper-passed condition.

11. A method for converting unrecrystallized hot band stainless steel strip to a final gauge product including, with neither an annealing step nor a pickling step before a step of cold rolling said hot band stainless steel strip, said method consisting essentially the following steps in the sequential order of cold rolling said unrecrystallized hot band strip to reduce the thickness of said unrecrystallized hot band stainless steel to a final gauge thickness and to crack the scale on the surface of said hot band stainless steel strip, annealing said final gauge thickness strip, and pickling said annealed strip to remove the scale from said surface of said final gauge thickness strip.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the intermediate step of conditioning the scale on said surface of said annealed strip in a molten salt bath before said annealed strip is pickled.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said molten salt is a kolene type salt.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of temper-passing the final gauge stainless steel after pickling.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said stainless steel strip is hot rolled strip.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said stainless steel strip is thin-cast strip.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said unrecrystallized hot band stainless steel strip is converted to a final gauge product in one continuous process line.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said stainless steel strip is J&L 409 grade steel.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said final gauge product has a surface roughness no greater than 35.mu. Ra in an in untemper-passed condition.

20. A process for converting unrecrystallized stainless steel strip to a final gauge product, with neither an annealing step nor a pickling step before a step of cold rolling said hot band stainless steel strip, said process consisting essentially the following steps in the sequential order of cold rolling said unrecrystallized hot band strip in a rolling mill to reduce the thickness of said unrecrystallized stainless steel to a final gauge thickness and to crack the scale on the surface of said hot band stainless steel strip, annealing said final gauge thickness strip from said rolling mill, conditioning the scale on said surface of said annealed strip in a molten salt bath, and pickling said annealed strip from said annealing section to remove the scale from said surface of said final gauge thickness strip.

21. The process of claim 20 wherein said stainless steel strip is hot rolled strip.

22. The process of claim 20 wherein said stainless steel strip is thin-cast strip.

23. The process of claim 20 wherein said unrecrystallized hot band stainless steel strip is converted to a final gauge product in one continuous process line.

24. The process of claim 20 wherein said stainless steel strip is J&L 409 grade steel.

25. The process of claim 20 wherein said final gauge product has a surface roughness no greater then 35.mu. Ra in an untemper-passed condition.