Optimization of the Two‐ and Three‐Dimensional Characterization of Rare Earth‐Traced Deoxidation Products

Tracing by means of the light rare earths (REs), particularly La and Ce, is a state-of-the-art method used to track deoxidation products during steelmaking process. Traced heterogeneous multiphase inclusions are analyzed using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) perform 2D characterization. The sequential chemical extraction technique implemented for 3D investigation determine traced particles’ actual sizes shapes. automated SEM/EDS measurement must be optimized since RE oxides appear brighter in backscattered images due their high atomic numbers. Therefore, two grayscales detection RE-containing inclusions. Within this technique, individual RE-traced nonmetallic (NMIs) counted as separate particles. Thus, measured NMIs recombined, which achieved self-developed MATLAB tool. extracted particles also manual measurements morphologies NMIs.