Physical and Mathematical Modeling of the Argon-Oxygen Decarburization Refining Process of Stainless Steel

The available studies in the literature on physical and mathematical modeling of the argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) process of stainless steel have briefly been reviewed. The latest advances made by the author with his research group have been summarized. Water modeling was used to investigate the fluid flow and mixing characteristics in the bath of an 18 t AOD vessel, as well as the 'back attack' action of gas jets and its effects on the erosion and wear of the refractory lining, with sufficiently full kinematic similarity. The non rotating and rotating gas jets blown through two annular tuyeres, respectively of straight tube and spiral flat tube type, were employed in the experiments. The geometric similarity ratio between the model and its prototype (including the straight tube type tuyeres) was 1:3. The influences of the gas flow rate, the angle included between the two tuyeres and other operating parameters, and the suitability of the spiral tuyere as a practical application, were examined. These latest studies have clearly and successfully brought to light the fluid flow and mixing characteristics in the bath and the overall features of the back attack phenomena of gas jets during the blowing, and have offered a better understanding of the refining process. Besides, mathematical modeling for the refining process of stainless steel was carried out and a new mathematical model of the process was proposed and developed. The model performs the rate calculations of the refining and the mass and heat balances of the system. Also, the effects of the operating factors, including adding the slag materials, crop ends, and scrap, and alloy agents; the non isothermal conditions; the changes in the amounts of metal and slag during the refining; and other factors were all considered. The model was used to deal with and analyze the austenitic stainless steel making (including ultra low carbon steel) and was tested on data of 32 heats obtained in producing 304 grade steel in an 18 t AOD vessel. The changes in the bath composition and temperature during the refining process with time can be accurately predicted using this model. The model can provide some very useful information and a reliable basis for optimizing the process practice of the refining of stainless steel and control of the process in real time and online.

Effect of decarburization annealing temperature and time on the carbon content, microstructure, and texture of grain-oriented pure iron

In this study,the effect of decarburization annealing temperature and time on the carbon content,microstructure,and texture of grain-oriented pure iron was investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with electron-backscatter diffraction. The results showed that the efficiency of decarburization dramatically increased with increasing decarburization temperature. However,when the annealing temperature was increased to 825°C and 850°C,the steel's carbon content remained essentially unchanged at 0.002%. With increasing decarburization time,the steel's carbon content generally decreased. When both the decarburization temperature and time were increased further,the average grain size dramatically increased and the number of fine grains decreased; meanwhile,some relatively larger grains developed. The main texture types of the decarburized sheets were approximately the same: {001}<110> and {112~115}<110>,with a γ-fiber texture. Furthermore,little change was observed in the texture. Compared with the experimental sheets,the texture of the cold-rolled sheet was very scattered. The best average magnetic induction(B_(800)) among the final products was 1.946 T.

Surface decarburization characteristics and relation between decarburized types and heating temperature of spring steel 60Si2MnA

The characteristics of complete and partial decarburizations in spring steel 60Si2MnA were systematically investigated, including the microstructure, the hardness gradient, and the formation mechanism. The relation between decarburized types and heating temperature of the steel was comprehensively discussed. It is found that heating temper- ature has an important influence on the decarburized types. With the rise of heating temperature, the decarburized types change from no decarburization to complete decarburization, complete and partial decarburizations, partial decarburiza- tion, and no decarburization.

Forming condition and control strategy of ferrite decarburization in 60Si2MnA spring steel wires for automotive suspensions

The ferrite decarburization behavior of 60Si2MnA spring steel wires for automotive suspensions, including the forming condition and the influence of heating time and cooling rate after hot rolling, was investigated comprehensively. Also, a control strategy during the reheating process and cooling process after rolling was put forward to protect against ferrite decarburization. The results show that ferrite decarburization, which has the strong temperature dependence due to phase transformation, is produced between 675 and 875°C. The maximum depth is found at 750°C. Heating time and cooling rate after rolling have an important influence on decarburization. Reasonable preheating temperature in the billet reheating process and austenitizing temperature in the heat-treatment process are suggested to protect against ferrite decarburization.

Decarburization rate of RH refining for ultra low carbon steel

The decarburization behaviors of ultra low carbon steel in a 210-t RH vacuum degasser were investigated under practical operat- ing conditions. According to the apparent decarburization rate constant （Kc） calculated by the carbon content in the samples taken from the hot melt in a ladle at an interval of 1-2 min, it is observed that the total decarburization reaction period in RH can be divided into the quick decarburization period and the stagnant decarburization period, which is quite different from the traditional one with three stages. In this study, the average apparent decarburization rate constant during the quick decarburization period is 0.306 min^-1, and that of the stagnant period is 0.072 min^-1. Increasing the initial carbon content and enhancing the exhausting capacity can increase the apparent decarburization rate constant in the quick decarburization period. The decarburization reaction comes into the stagnant decarburization period when the carbon content in molten steel is less than 14× 10^-6 after 10 min of decarburization.

Numerical Simulation of Recirculating Flow and Decarburization in RH Vacuum Refining Degasser

Based on the principle of RH process and the mechanism of decarburization, a three-dimensional mathematical model to represent the flow and decarburization of molten steel was established. The model was verified and the effect of operating parameters on the process was investigated.

Electrochemical Characteristic of Decarburization Reaction

The electrochemical mechanism of the reaction between Fe-C melts and CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-FeOx slag systems has been carried out. The experimental results suggest that the final content of carbon in melt increases as the partial oxygen pressure of gas decreases no matter whether there is electronic conductor or not. However, the final content of carbon in the system with electronic conductor is much lower than that without electronic conductor. It can be deduced that the transfer ability of oxygen in slag is dominated by electrons. When an electronic conductor exists, an easy pathway for the electrons is provided and the oxygen transfer rate is accelerated.

Mathematical Model of Decarburization of Ultra Low Carbon Steel during RH Treatment

According to the balance of carbon and oxygen, a decarburization model for the RH treatment has been developed. in which the influence of the mass transfer of carbon and oxygen in the liquid steel and the stirring energy (ε) in the vacuum vessel on decarburization rate has been considered. The conclusion that the volumetric coefficients of the mass transfer of carbon is proportional to ε(1.5) is drawn. Industrical experiment proves this model is reliable. The influence of some factors on decarburization rate has been obtained. which can provide directions for RH treatment The decarburization behavior of steel with RH-OB treatment is also studied. The OB-or-not curve, the optimized OB time and OB amount are discussed.

Influence of Conductivity of Slag on Decarburization Reaction

By altering the electrochemical properties of slag, the decarburization reaction of Fe3+-based slag withFe-C droplet was studied. The results showed that a lot of free electrons and holes exist in the slag containing transition metal oxides (such as TiO2 and Fe2O3). So electronic conduction in the slag increases. Finally, it led to the increment of the decarburization reaction rate between slag and Fe-C droplet, and mass fraction of carbon remaining indroplet decreases to a lower level.

Decarburization mechanism of RH-MFB refining process

The overall decarburization mechanism can be divided into the decarburization in bulk molten steel and floating of CO against static pressure, the decarburization on the surface of argon bubbles and splashing particles. On the basis of each conception the RH-MFB decarburization mathematical model has been built according to the thermodynamic and mass conservation principle, and contributions of every decarburization mechanism were discussed and analyzed.

Numerical Simulation of Decarburization in a Top-Blown Basic Oxygen Furnace

An improved mathematical model to describe the decarburization process in basic oxygen furnaces for steelmaking is presented in this work. This model takes into account those factors or parameters that determine the bath-oxygen impact area, such as the cavity depth, the lance height, the number of nozzles and the nozzles diameter. In the thermal issue, the model includes the targeted carbon content and temperature. The model is numerically solved, and is validated using reported data plant. The oxygen flow rate and the lance height are varied in the numerical simulations to study their effect on the carbon content and decarburization rate.

Modeling study on the flow patterns of gas–liquid flow for fast decarburization during the RH process

A water model and a high-speed video camera were utilized in the 300-t RH equipment to study the effect of steel flow patterns in a vacuum chamber on fast decarburization and a superior flow-pattern map was obtained during the practical RH process. There are three flow patterns with different bubbling characteristics and steel surface states in the vacuum chamber： boiling pattern（BP）, transition pattern（TP）, and wave pattern（WP）. The effect of the liquid-steel level and the residence time of the steel in the chamber on flow patterns and decarburization reaction were investigated, respectively. The liquid-steel level significantly affected the flow-pattern transition from BP to WP, and the residence time and reaction area were crucial to evaluate the whole decarburization process rather than the circulation flow rate and mixing time. A superior flow-pattern map during the practical RH process showed that the steel flow pattern changed from BP to TP quickly, and then remained as TP until the end of decarburization.

Study on Diffusion Behavior of 72LX Blooms in the Decarburization Process

To elucidate the diffusion behavior of carbon atoms within the austenite region,the decarbonization of 72LX steel bloom was investigated.Experimental studies were performed to obtain the depth profiles of the decarburized layers within the temperature range of 950-1250℃.The findings show that,within a temperature range of 950-1200℃,both the depth of the decarburization layer of the grain interior(h_(in))and the depth of the decarbonization effect zone of the grain boundary(h_(b))increase concurrently with increasing holding temperatures and times and an inflection point is observed at 1200℃.By measuring the change in the sample diameter before and after the experiment,the change in the radius reduction of h_(Fe) causes by oxidation is obtained.Minimal changes are observed in h_(Fe) when the temperature is below 1050℃.As the temperature increases to 1100℃,a sudden change in h_(Fe) is observed,which corresponds to a rapid increase in oxidation.At temperatures above 1100℃,a more gradual change is observed.From the experimental results,a two-dimensional decarburization mathematical model is established and the carbon diffusion coefficients at different temperatures are obtained by simulation and regression fitting.The simulation values obtain from the carbon diffusion model matched well with the experimental values,thereby confirming the accuracy of the simulation process.

Prediction of liquid circulation flow rate in RH degasser:improvement of decarburization at low atmospheric pressure

The two-fluid model coupled with population balance model was used for simulating the gas-liquid flow in the Ruhrstahl-Heraeus(RH)degasser.The predicted circulation flow rate was compared with that measured from a water model experiment to validate the mathematical model.Then,influence of snorkel immersion depth on liquid circulation flow rate was numerically investigated under an atmospheric pressure of 101 and 84 kPa,respectively.Predicted result indicates that the circulation flow rate of the RH degasser in the high-altitude area was severely reduced because of the decrease in atmospheric pressure.However,increasing the snorkel immersion depth from 0.5 to 0.7 m can compensate for the decrease in atmospheric pressure.Industrial test result indicates that decarburization rate is significantly enhanced by increasing the snorkel immersion depth.Through optimization,the percentage of heats with a final carbon content less than 0.002 wt.%is significantly increased from 22.0%to 96.4%.

Melting Characteristics of Recycling Slag in Decarburization Converter and Its Application Effects

The steel slag in the decarburization converter is treated by the little water-spreading （ LWS ） and the heat-stewed （ HS ） methods , which is used as the furnace burden of the dephosphorization converter.The slag characteristics by the LWS and the HS methods and its application effects as the furnace burden are researched.The results show the moisture content in the HS slag is higher than that of the LWS slag.There is higher total iron content in the HS and the LWS slags and almost same melting point.The dicalcium silicate content in the LWS slag is higher than that in the HS slag.The tricalcium silicate in the LWS slag is lower than that in the HS slag.There are a lot of calcium ferrite in the LWS and the HS slags , which is beneficial to dephosphorization and slag melting.The LWS and the HS slags are added to dephosphorization converter each charge by 3or 6t.The results show that the saving lime is 0.7-1.0tfor each charge.The petrographic constitute of final slag for the dephosphorization converter by adding the LWS and the HS slags is dicalcium silicate , RO phase and glass phase.There are a little calcium ferrite phase in the LWS slag , which is helpful to dephosphorization.So there are better dephosphorization effects for the LWS and HS slags.

Decarburization Thermodynamics of High-Carbon Ferromanganese Powders During Gas-Solid Fluidization Process

Thermodynamic conditions of reactions between high-carbon ferromanganese powders and gas decarbonizers like O2, CO2 and water vapor were studied by thermodynamic calculation. In O2, CO2 and water vapor atmosphere, high-carbon ferromanganese powders were decarburized in a fluidized bed. When the temperature is respectively higher than 273, 1 226 and 1 312 K, the gas-solid decarburization reaction will occur between ferromanganese carbide on the surface of the high-carbon ferromanganese powders and different gas decarbonizers. Since metal manganese is easy to be oxidized by O2, CO2 or water vapor, the decarburization reaction will transfer into a solid-solid phase reaction of ferromanganese carbide and ferromanganese oxide, promoting external diffusion of carbon to achieve a further decarburization of high-carbon ferromanganese powders.

Solid-Phase Decarburization of High-Carbon Ferromanganese Powders by Microwave Heating

The solid-phase decarburization of high-carbon ferromanganese powders （HCFPs） was investigated using calcium carbonate as the decarburizer by microwave heating and conventional heating methods to explore the differ-ences of microwave heating and conventional heating. Experimental results show that HCFPs containing calcium.car-bonate were heated up to 900, 1000, 1 100, and 1200 ℃ and held for 60 rain for decarburization by microwave heat-ing at decarburization ratios of 76.69%, 82.90%, 84.11%, and 85. 75%, respectively. These ratios are higher than the decarburization ratios used for conventional heating under the same experimental conditipns. The microwave heat- ing can significantly improve decarburization ratio. This indicates the microwave heating field features a non-thermal effect, which in turn, visibly enhances the carbon diffusion ability of HCFPs. It also improves the kinetic conditions of solid-phase decarburization.

Mechanical properties of WC–Co coatings with different decarburization levels

In this study, two kinds of WC-Co coatings with different decarburization levels were deposited by high-velocity oxy-fuel（HVOF） spraying using the ultrafine WC-Co composite powder and commercial micronsized powder, respectively. The hardness and elastic modulus were measured on the top surface and cross sections of the prepared coatings by the nanoindentation method. The results show that the ultrafine-structured coating has much higher density and inhibited decarburization than the conventional coating, which thus results in higher hardness and elastic modulus values than the micronsized coating. The wear resistance of thermal-sprayed cermet coatings greatly depends on the cross-sectional hardness and elastic modulus which reflects the bond strength between splats to some extent. Based on the analysis, a better understanding of the microstructure and properties in cermet coating materials was obtained.

Model for RuhrstahI-Heraeus （RH） decarburization process

A mathematical model was established to predict the carbon content of ultralow carbon steel in the Ruhrstahl-Heraeus （RH） process. The model was solved using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method and assumed that the volume of steel partaking in the reaction depends on the decarburization mechanism. After analyzing the decarburization process using the proposed model, the following conclusions were drawn. First, the initial carbon and oxygen contents in the RH degasser should be stabilized in the range of （200-350） × 10^-6 and （500-700） × 10^-6, respectively. Second, in the initial stage, the pressure should be reduced as quickly as possible. Third, oxygen blowing should begin as early as possible when the forced decarburization is needed and the minimum oxygen flow rate should be 0.1923 m3/（t rain）. Finally, expanding the diameter of the snorkel tube from 480 to 600 mm clearly enhances the decarburization rate.

Secondary Hardening, Austenite Grain Coarsening and Surface Decarburization Phenomenon in Nb-Bearing Spring Steel

The secondary hardening, the austenite grain coarsening and the surface decarburization phenomenon of Nb-bearing spring steel were investigated, and the effects of niobium on tempered microstructure was studied using scanning electron microscope. The results show that the micro-addition of niobium increases the tempering resistance and produces secondary hardening. The effect of niobium on the size and distribution of cementite particles is one of the primary reasons to increase the hardness after tempering. The grain-coarsening temperature of the spring steel is raised 150 ~C due to Nb-addition. Furthermore, both the secondary hardening and the austenite grain coarsening phenomenon congruously demonstrate niobium begins observably dissolving above 1 100 ℃ in the spring steel. Be- sides, niobium microalloying is an effective and economy means to decrease the decarburization sensitivity of the spring steels.