The aim of the CD laboratory is to intensify and further deepen research in the field of Inclusion Metallurgy especially focusing on open questions from a scientific point of view as well as application-oriented subjects in cooperation with the industry partners. The principal idea is to establish a bridge from inclusion formation over their modification and evolution in the system steel-slag-refractory to their final impact on material properties for specific applications. With this approach, the primary aim is to study the relation and interaction between micro-, meso- and macro-cleanness in steel with a special focus on meso-cleanness.

Different process routes and completely various products will be investigated regarding steel cleanness related issues: From integrated steel mill with classical secondary metallurgical processes to powder metallurgical production with Electroslag Heating followed by atomization; from steels for automotive applications to cold work tool steels for precision blanking. However, basic mechanisms and scientific questions related to Inclusions Metallurgy are comparable.

Especially the further development of inclusion analytics, also considering machine learning tools to support inclusion characterization and the representative analysis of meso-particles, as well as different aspects regarding interfacial properties influencing the inclusion behavior, are in the focus of interest. Special attention will be paid on the role of different alkali and rare earth elements changing the inclusions behavior in the system steel-slag-refractory to their final impact on material properties for specific applications.

Objectives:

1. Specific creation of defined inclusion populations on laboratory scale especially considering the role of alkali and rare earth elements; Investigation of the inclusion behavior in the system steel-slag-refractory by means of different experimental methods.

2. Development of a deepened understanding regarding inclusion morphology through the combination of various methods for inclusion analytics focusing on multiphase particles.

3. Linking different analytical tools considering data-driven modeling by means of machine learning for a more efficient inclusion characterization.

4. Systematic, multi-scale analysis and tracking of non-metallic inclusions, especially for the meso-size range.

5. Establishment of isotope analysis for inclusion tracking in the system steel-slag-refractory.

With the CD laboratory, three projects are conducted in cooperation with one industry partner each:

Research Project I: NMI-PM

Industrial Partner: voestalpine Böhler Edelstahl GmbH & Co KG

This project focuses on the behavior of non-metallic inclusions in the powder metallurgical production of tool and high speed steels and the therewith connected potential for further optimization of the already very high steel cleanness level. Based on a deepened understanding of the relation between specific aspects of steel cleanness and the fatigue behavior under defined stresses and loads, the need for excessive material testing should be reduced.

Research Project II: SECMET-SURACT

Industrial Partner: voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH

The main focus of this project is on the challenges of secondary metallurgy in the context of alternative routes for crude steel production based on the Direct Reduction/Electric Arc Furnace process. This includes an examination of the role of treatments with various (tracer) elements, such as alkali or lanthanide groups, to improve inclusion removal.

Research Project III: MESO-INC

Industrial Partner: voestalpine Stahl GmbH

The aim of this project is to study the behavior of inclusions in different steel grades for automotive applications, especially considering the role and impact of meso-inclusions. For this purpose, a multi-scale inclusion characterization, as well as a systematic tracing of particles over the production process by different methods, are of significant interest and importance. This part of the project includes a scientific cooperation with the Chair of General and Analytical Chemistry at Montanuniversitaet Leoben.

In the context of ongoing electrification, a further key aspect of this project is gaining an understanding of non-metallic inclusions and their influence on material properties, including magnetic losses, in electrical steel.

Furthermore, this project deals with the application of artificial intelligence to tackle digitalization challenges and improve the efficiency of quality control systems regarding steel cleanness.

Head of the CD-Lab

Publications

Main-authored:

Co-authored:

Conferences

Advances in inclusion metallurgy based on fundamental studies of interactions in the system steel-slag-refractory. International Conference on Secondary Refining & Inclusion Control, Xi'an, China (2025)

Latest developments in tracing techniques to study the behavior of non-metallic inclusions. 9th International Congress on Science and Technology of Steelmaking, Seoul, South Korea (2025)

Current developments and process strategies for sustainable steelmaking. 4th Materials Science Colloquium, Lech am Arlberg, Vorarlberg, Austria (2025)

The Road to Sustainable Steelmaking Technologies: Linking Fundamental and Applied Research Activities. MS&T24, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (2024)

Awards

3rd place of the Hunt-Kelly Outstanding Paper Award (AIME) for the publication "Different Approaches to Trace the Source of Non-metallic Inclusions in Steel.", AISTech 2025, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Post Doc

PhD thesis

Publications

Main-authored:

Co-authored:

Conferences

Interplay of scrap introduced tramp elements and non-metallic inclusions. FEMS 2025 EUROMAT, Granada, Spain (2025)

Evaluation of the Changes in Oxidic Steel Cleanness Linked to Tramp Elements Introduced by Increased Scrap Recycling. 10th European Oxygen Steelmaking Conference, Vienna, Austria (2025) 

Influence of increased tramp element contents on wetting conditions and deformation behavior of non-metallic inclusions in medium carbon steels. AISTech, Nashville, Tennessee, USA (2025)

Influence of scrap introduced tramp elements on non-metallic inclusions in cleanness sensitive steels. 4th Materials Science Colloquium, Lech am Arlberg, Vorarlberg, Austria (2025)

Steel and slag combined in HT-CSLM: A new approach for the in-situ investigation of non-metallic inclusions. The Liquid Metal Processing and Casting Conference (LMPC 2024), Leoben, Austria (2024)

Challenges of impurity removal and slag metallurgy in green steel production. Swerim Recycling Day 2024, Online (2024)

Challenges of impurity removal in green steel production. ALMAMET International Symposium Desulfurization of Hot Metal and Steel. Cologne, Germany (2024)

The impact of tramp elements on the wetting behavior of non-metallic inclusions in a medium-carbon steel. International Conference on Secondary Refining and Inclusion Controlling SRIC 2023, China (2023)

Consequences of an increased content of tramp elements in steel on the wetting conditions in the system steel-inclusion-refractory. 6th European Steel Technology and Application Days, Düsseldorf, Germany (2023)

Influence of specific trace elements on the wetting behaviour of a medium-carbon steel in contact with different oxidic substrates. Material Sciene and Engineering MSE Darmstadt, Germany (2022)

Others

Research stay at Steel Institute of RWTH Aachen University. 07/2025

PhD candidate

Publications

Main-authored:

Conferences

Improved Framework for the Evaluation of Steel Cleanness Using Automated SEM/EDS Analysis with Thermodynamic Considerations and Machine Learning Models. 9th International Congress on Science and Technology of Steelmaking, Seoul, South Korea (2025)

Morphology Characterisation of La-traced Non-Metallic Inclusions with Artificial Intelligence. Junior EUROMAT, Manchester, England (2024)

PhD candidate

Conferences

Evolution of non-metallic inclusions in non-oriented electrical steel: Industrial observations and laboratory test results. European Steel Technology and Application Days, Verona, Italy (2025)

Optimizing automated SEM/EDS analysis for accurate nitride typification in non-oreiented electrical steel. International Conference on Secondary Refining & Inclusion Control, Xi'an, China (2025)

PhD candidate

Conferences

Influence of Selected Trace Elements on the Phase Transformation in a Medium-Carbon Steel. Junior EUROMAT, Manchester, England (2024).

Former PhD and Post Doc

PhD thesis

Publications

Main-authored:

Co-authored:

Conferences

Innovative Methods to Trace Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel. 4. Blockguss-Forum, Leoben, Austria (2025)

Evaluating Techniques for Identifying Isotopically Spiked Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel. FEMS 2025 EUROMAT, Granada, Spain (2025)

Isotopic Spiking - An innovative Method to Trace Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel. 9th International Congress on Science and Technology of Steelmaking, Seoul, South Korea (2025)

Innovations and Optimizations in Tracing Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel. 10th European Oxygen Steelmaking Conference, Vienna, Austria (2025) 

Tracing Techniques to Determine the Origin of Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel: An Overview. 4th Materials Science Colloquium, Lech am Arlberg, Vorarlberg, Austria (2025)

Der Reinheitsgrad in der Metallurgie: Aktuelle Forschungsthemen und deren Anwendung. AWT-Fachauschuss 21 - Gefüge und mechanische Eigenschaften, Bremen, Germany (2024)

Isotopic Fingerprint – an Innovative Method to Determine the Origin of Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel. MS&T24, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (2024)

Impulsvortrag - Aktuelle Forschung auf dem Gebiet der Einschlussmetallurgie. DGM/AWT-Gemeinschaftsfachausschuss Werkstofftechnik Stahl, Siegburg, Germany (2024)

Application of tracing techniques to determine the source of alumina inclusions in the clogging layer of Ti-stabilized ULC steels. International Conference on Secondary Refining and Inclusion Controlling SRIC 2023, China (2023)

Comparison of tracing deoxidation products with rare earth elements in the industry and on a laboratory scale. 6th European Steel Technology and Application Days, Düsseldorf, Germany (2023)

Tracing the origin of non-metallic inclusions by elemental and isotopic fingerprints. Junganalytiker*innen Forum, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria (2023)

Different Approaches to Trace the Source of Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel. AISTech 2023, Huntington Place, Detroit, Michigan, USA (2023)

Different Approaches to Trace the Source of Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel. 8th International Congress on the Science and Technology of Steelmaking (ICS), Montreal, Kanada (2022). Speaker: S.K. Michelic

Characterization of Rare-Earth-Elements-Traced Non-Metallic Inclusions by Different Methods. 8th International Congress on the Science and Technology of Steelmaking (ICS), Montreal, Kanada (2022)

Application of ICP-MS to study the evolution of non-metallic inclusions in steelmaking. 28. ICP-MS ANWENDER*INNEN TREFFEN, Montanuniversität Leoben, Österreich (2022)

Tracing of Non-metallic Inclusions in Secondary Metallurgy by Means of Rare Earth Elements. ASIA STEEL 2021 jointed with Automotive Steel International Conference, Gyeongju, Korea (2021)

Awards

Winner of the INTECO-ASMET award in the category PhD thesis, Leoben, Austria (2025)

3rd place of the Hunt-Kelly Outstanding Paper Award (AIME) for the publication "Different Approaches to Trace the Source of Non-metallic Inclusions in Steel.", AISTech 2025, Nashville, Tennessee, USA (2025)

1. Platz ÖWGP Doktoratskolloquium - Dissertation "Tracing of Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel by Applying Modern Analytical Techniques"
   

Richard J. Fruehan Award 2024 for the Publication "Different Approaches to Trace the Source of Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel.", MS&T24, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (2024)

Wissenschaftspreis für Montanistinnen in der Kategorie PraeDoc "Active and passive tracing of non-metallic inclusions in steel", Montanuniversität Leoben, Österreich (2024)

3rd Place at Poster Award for "Application of ICP-MS to study the evolution of non-metallic inclusions in steelmaking." at 28. ICP-MS ANWENDER*INNEN TREFFEN, Montanuniversität Leoben, Österreich (2022)

Accomplished and mentored master thesis