Study on the separation process of non-metallic inclusions at the steel-slag interface using water modeling

The separation process of non-metallic inclusions at the steel–slag interface was simulated by physical modeling. Three different kinds of particles (octahedral, plate-like, and spherical) and three different oils (kerosene, bean oil, and pump oil) were used to model inclusions and slags, respectively. The effects of inclusion geometry (shape and size) and slag properties (viscosity and interfacial tension) on the separation process were investigated. The results revealed that the variation of surface free energy and the viscosity of the slag are two significant factors affecting the separation process of inclusions at the steel–slag interface. The variation of surface free energy helped inclusions enter the slag phase, whereas the decrease of slag viscosity shortened the separation time. The deformation of the steel–slag interface could give rise to the resistance force, which would resist inclusions passing through the interface. A liquid film formed on the inclusion as it passed through the steel–slag interface, which might be related to the inclusion’s shape. © 2017, University of Science and Technology Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Flow Characteristics and Inclusion Removal in a Ten-strand Continuous Casting Tundish:Physical Modelling and Industrial Trials

The flow characteristics and inclusion removal in a ten-strand continuous casting tundish were investigated with physical modelling and industrial trials. The results show that, among the strands, the strand with the mini mum dimensionless time of the first appearance of tracer at the tundish exit appears to be the worst one for inclusion removal, while the strand with the maximum dimensionless mean residence time shows the best inclusion removal efficiency. The inclusion number decreases with increasing inclusion size for all strands. The inclusion number distri bution among strands is the same for all inclusion sizes and the descending order of inclusion number is basically con sistent with the ascending order of dimensionless mean residence time among individual strands. However, when the strand with the minimum dimensionless time of the first appearance of tracer at the tundish exit is not the same one with the minimum dimensionless mean residence time, the former seems to be inferior to the latter for inclusion re moval.