The carbon content of low carbon free-cutting stainless steels such as 430F and 430FR is ≤0.035%. Because Xingtai Steel adopts the 60 t AOD-LF-CC low-cost production process

it is by using expensive low-carbon alloys and increasing terminal decarburization time to ensure product carbon qualified rate. Compared with the same series of low-carbon 430 ferritic stainless steel

the cost per ton of steel rises by 100 yuan. By increasing AOD liquid decarburization temperature and adjusting process basicity to realize tapping [C]≤0.015%. In the tapping and refining process

the magnesia-calcium slag line ladle is used to replace the magnesium-carbon slag line ladle

and the oxidizability of the refined slag is adjusted to achieve an average carbon increase of ≤0.007% in the refining process

and the qualified rate of the carbon content of the low-carbon free-cutting stainless steel is increased from 76% to over 92%

to realize the continuously produces low carbon 430 series free cutting stainless steel by AOD-LF-CC process.