STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF THE METAL OF TUBES PRODUCED FROM CENTRIFUGALLY VACUUM CAST AUSTENITIC STAINLESS-STEEL BILLETS

Comparative analysis of the structure and properties of the metal of c old-finished extra-thin wall tubes manufactured from billets centrifug ally cast in vacuum and from billets obtained by the conventional two- stage process including vacuum induction melting and vacuum refining h as been carried out. It is shown that structure and properties of cold -finished tubes made from vacuum-centrifugally cast billets are not in ferior to those of tubes from conventional billets; however, vacuum ce ntrifugal casting of tube billets ensures a lower content of non-metal lic inclusions in tube metal along with lower metal and labour consump tion.