Non-metallic inclusions arise because of many physical-chemical effects that occur in molten and consolidated metal during production.
Non-metallic inclusions that arise because of different reactions during metal production are called natural or indigenous. They include oxides, sulfides, nitrides and phosphides.
Apart from natural inclusions there are also parts of slag, refractories, material of a casting mould (the material the metal contacts during production) in the metal. Such non-metallic inclusions are called foreign, accidental or exogenous.
Most inclusions in the reduction smelting of metal formed because of admixture dissolubility decreasing during cooling and consolidation.
The present-day level of steel production technology allows the elimination of most natural and foreign inclusions from the metal. However its general content in different steels can vary between wide limits and has a big influence on the metal properties.