although it is desirable to arrange the addition sequence to protect certain elements such as titanium and vanadium from oxidation according to one exemplary embodiment manganese is added first as ferromanganese for deoxidizing the liquid steel next silicon is added in the form of ferrosilicon for further deoxidizing the liquid steel carbon is then added followed by chromium vanadium and titanium are added in the penultimate and final steps respectively after the alloying elements are added the steel may be vacuum degassed to further remove oxygen and other potentially harmful gases such as hydrogen once degassed the liquid steel may be cast into blooms e g 370 mm u00d7 600 mm in a three strand continuous casting machine the casting speed may be set at for example under 0 46 m s during casting the liquid steel is protected from oxygen air by shrouding that involves ceramic tubes extending from the bottom of the ladle into the tundish a holding vessel that distributes the molten steel into the three molds below and the bottom of the tundish into each mold the liquid steel may be electromagnetically stirred while in the casting mold to enhance homogenization and thus minimize alloy segregation after casting the cast blooms are heated to about 1220 u00b0 c and rolled.