Temperature Drop of Molten Metals in Open Channels

The temperature drop of molten metal flowing in open channels is numerically determined. Rectangular, trapezoidal and triangular geometries are considered. The overall heat transfer coefficients for the bottom, side walls and free surface of the channel have been taken from the literature. For each geometry, the volumetric flow rate, mean residence time and temperature drop as a function of the channel inclination angle were determined. The rectangular and trapezoidal geometries present the smallest temperature drops, while the triangular geometry presents the greatest temperature drop. The factors that most affect this drop are the value of the free surface area of the channel, and the average residence time of the molten metal in the channel.

Effect of the Density of Molten Metal on the Raining Phenomenon in Horizontal Centrifugal Casting

In this work the influence of the density of the molten metal on the emergence of the raining phenomenon in the horizontal centrifugal casting process is numerically studied. Transient 2D numerical simulations were carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics software. Three molten metals with different density, namely aluminum, iron and lead, and three angular frequencies, namely 50, 66 and 77 rad/s were considered. It is found that the density of the molten metal significantly affects the emergence, transient or permanent, of the rain phenomenon. However, the magnitude and duration of the rain phenomenon depend on the angular frequency of the rotating mold. Likewise, since gravitational forces affect the metal according to its density, the value of the critical rotation speed of the mold is also affected.

Uniform Flow of Molten Metals in Rectangular Open Channels

The flow of liquids in open channels has been studied since ancient Rome. However, the vast majority of published reports on flow in open channels are focused on the transport of drinking water and sewage disposal. The literature on the transport of molten metals in open channels is quite scarce. In this work, the uniform flow of pig iron and molten aluminum in rectangular open channels is studied. Specific energy curves are constructed and critical heights are analytically determined. The transition from subcritical to supercritical flow is analyzed as a function of the angle of inclination of the channel and the roughness of its walls. Manning’s equation is applied to the pig iron flow using data reported in the literature for molten aluminum. The need to correct the roughness coefficient for pig iron is observed in order to obtain results consistent with those previously reported.

Nonmetal-Metal Transition in Solutions of Metals in Molten Salts

Solutions of metals in molten salts present a rich phenomenology: localisatlon of electrons in disordered ionic media, activated electron transport increasing with metal concentration towards a nonmetal-metal (NM-M) transition, and liquid-liquid phase separation. A brief review of progress in the study of these systems is given in this article, with main focus on the NM-M transition. After recalling the known NM-M behaviour of the component elements in the case of expanded fluid alkali metals and mercury and of solid halogens under pressure, the article focuses on liquid metal-molten salt solutions and traces the different NM-M behaviours of the alkalis in their halides and of metals added to polyvalent metal halides.

Unsteady Non-Uniform Flow of Molten Metals in Rectangular Open Channels

In the metallurgical industries, it is very important to characterize the flow of molten metals in open channels given that they are transported through these devices to different plant sections. However, unlike the flow of water which has been studied since ancient times, the flow of molten metals in open channels has received little attention. The unsteady non-uniform flow of blast furnace molten pig iron in a rectangular open channel is analyzed in this work by numerical solution of the Saint-Venant equations. The influence of mesh size on the convergence of molten metal height is studied to determine the proper mesh and time step sizes. A sinusoidal inflow pulse is imposed at the entrance of the channel in order to analyze the propagation of the resulting wave. The influence of the angle of inclination of the channel and the roughness coefficient of the walls on the amplitude and the dynamic behavior of the height of the molten metal are analyzed. Phase portraits of the channel state variables are constructed and interpreted. Numerical simulations show that as the angle of inclination of the channel increases, the amplitude of the formed wave decreases. From 10 degrees onwards, the peak of the wave descends even below the initial height. On the other hand, the roughness coefficient affects the molten pig iron height profiles in an inverse way than the angle of inclination. The amplitude of the formed wave increases as the roughness coefficient increases.

The mystery of molten metal

Recent advances in scientific understanding of high-temperature materials processing using novel experimental methodologies have shed light on the complex role of surface and interface phenomena. New in-situ studies on molten metal/solid ceramic interactions using a unique experimental complex at the Foundry Research Institute, Krakow, have revealed a number of unusual observations in materials processing at high temperatures. We present some such unusual observations and their explanation with reference to liquid metal processing of Al, Ni, and Ti, and their alloys in contact with oxide ceramics. In particular, we focus on the following aspects: primary oxidation of Al from residual water vapor or oxygen, capillary purification to remove surface oxide, substrate protection by CVD carbon, roughening due to spinel whisker formation, inclusions in castings due to mechanical detachment, floatation due to buoyancy forces, and segregation due to directional solidifciation, modification of the solid surface morphology by metal vapor ahead of the liquid, and the complication due to multi-component alloys melted in crucibles made from complex oxide-based ceramics. In the case of Ti, rapid reactions with oxides result in undesirable volumetric changes that create difficulty in casting high-quality Ti parts, particularly by investment casting. Nanoscale (e.g., colloidal) coatings based on Y2O3 protect crucibles and hold ladles against such attack. Practical insights and recommendations for materials processing emerging from the fundamental studies on high-temperature interfacial phenomena have been described.

Best practices for making high integrity lightweight metal castings-molten metal composition and cleanliness control

To make high integrity lightweight metal castings,best practices are required in various stages of casting and heat treatment processes,including liquid metal composition and quality control,casting and gating/riser system design,and process optimization.This paper presents best practices for liquid metal processing and quality assurance of molten metal in both melting and mold filling.Best practices for other aspects of lightweight metal casting will be published separately.

Conjugate Heat Transfer Analysis of an Ultrasonic Molten Metal Treatment System

In piezoceramic ultrasonic devices,the piezoceramic stacks may fail permanently or function improperly if their working temperatures overstep the Curie temperature of the piezoceramic material.While the end of the horn usually serves near the melting point of the molten metal and is enclosed in an airtight chamber,so that it is difficult to experimentally measure the temperature of the transducer and its variation with time,which bring heavy difficulty to the design of the ultrasonic molten metal treatment system.To find a way out,conjugate heat transfer analysis of an ultrasonic molten metal treatment system is performed with coupled fluid and heat transfer finite element method.In modeling of the system,the RNG model and the SIMPLE algorithm are adopted for turbulence and nonlinear coupling between the momentum equation and the energy equation.Forced air cooling as well as natural air cooling is analyzed to compare the difference of temperature evolution.Numerical results show that,after about 350 s of working time,temperatures in the surface of the ceramic stacks in forced air cooling drop about 7 K compared with that in natural cooling.At 240 s,The molten metal surface emits heat radiation with a maximum rate of about 19 036 W/m2,while the heat insulation disc absorbs heat radiation at a maximum rate of about 7922 W/m2,which indicates the effectiveness of heat insulation of the asbestos pad.Transient heat transfer film coefficient and its distribution,which are difficult to be measured experimentally are also obtained through numerical simulation.At 240 s,the heat transfer film coefficient in the surface of the transducer ranges from–17.86 to 20.17 W/（m2？K）.Compared with the trial and error method based on the test,the proposed research provides a more effective way in the design and analysis of the temperature control of the molten metal treatment system.

Ultrafast Modulation of the Molten Metal Surface Tension under Femtosecond Laser Irradiation

We predict ultrafast modulation of the pure molten metal surface stress fields under the irradiation of the single femtosecond laser pulse through the two-temperature model molecular-dynamics simulations. High-resolution and precision calculations are used to resolve the ultrafast laser-induced anisotropic relaxations of the pressure components on the time-scale comparable to the intrinsic liquid density relaxation time. The magnitudes of the dynamic surface tensions are found being modulated sharply within picoseconds after the irradiation, due to the development of the nanometer scale non-hydrostatic regime behind the exterior atomic layer of the liquid surfaces.The reported novel regulation mechanism of the liquid surface stress field and the dynamic surface tension hints at levitating the manipulation of liquid surfaces, such as ultrafast steering the surface directional transport and patterning.

Determining the feature values of parameters indicating the critical states of molten metal bridge in short circuit transfer

Short circuit transfer involves bridging between the consumable electrode and the weld pool, associated with variations of electrical parameters which characterize the change of molten metal bridge state and are very important for the control of .spatter. In this paper, electrical process parameters and short circuit transfer images were simultaneously recorded with a LabView-based synchronous sensing and visualizing system. The arc^bridge resistance and derivatives of welding current, arc voltage and arc resistance at various instants were calculated by means of offline analysis of the welding current, arc voltage and droplet images. Parameters and their feature values indicating the onset of short circuit and the oncoming necking-down of molten metal bridge were determined. Using the calculated feature values, bridge-state-feedback control for .short circuit transfer was realized with a spatter rate less than 0. 25%.

ULTRASONIC SEPARATION OF MICRO-SIZED INCLUSIONS IN MOLTEN METAL

The coagulation time and position of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in molten metal during ultrasonic separation process were investigated, and the motion course of micro-sized non-metallic inclusions in an ultrasonic standing wave field was numerically simulated. The results of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that the movement of inclusions depends on the balance between the acoustic radiation force, effective buoyancy force and viscous drag force. It is presented that micro-sized inclusions, agglomerated at antinode-planes may be removed further with horizon tal ultrasound.``

A comparative study of interface reconstruction algorithms in molten metal flow

In the present research,two numerical schemes for improving the accuracy of the solution in the flow simulation of molten metal were applied.One method is the Piecewise Linear Interface Calculation(PLIC) method and the other is the Donor-Acceptor(D-A) method.To verify the module of the interface reconstruction algorithms,simple problems were tested.After these validations,the accuracy and efficiency of these two methods were compared by simulating various real products.On the numerical simulation of free surface flow,it is possible for the PLIC method to track very accurately the interface between phases.The PLIC method,however,has the weak point in that a lot of computational time is required,though it shows the more accurate interface reconstruction.The Donor-Acceptor method has enough effectiveness in the macro-observation of a mold filling sequence though it shows inferior accuracy.Therefore,for the problems that need the accurate solution,PLIC is more appropriate than D-A.More accuracy may cause less efficiency in numerical analysis.Which method between D-A method and PLIC method should be chosen depends on the product.

Analysis of Molten Metal Distribution in the Mold of a Horizontal Centrifugal Casting

It is numerically studied the influence of the angular velocity, the molten metal viscosity, and the mold wall roughness on the molten metal distribution in the mold of a horizontal centrifugal casting process. The undesirable raining phenomenon sometimes arises in horizontal centrifugal casting. It occurs when the molten metal rains or falls from the top of the mold to the bottom while the mold is rotating. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations, the conditions for the emergence of the raining phenomenon were explored in this work. For the system considered, angular velocities less than 77 rad/s cause the emergence of the raining phenomenon and accumulation of the molten metal in the lower part of the mold, whereas angular velocities greater than 77 rad/s produce a constant thickness of the molten metal and prevent raining.

Effect of electromagnetic force on melt induced by traveling magnetic field

A new apparatus was designed to measure the electromagnetic force and a computational study of the traveling magnetic field(TMF)and its application to the Ga-In-Sn melt(with low melting point),then the forces on Al,Mg,and Li melt,were simulated. The result show that the electromagnetic force on the melt increases linearly with the increasing length of the melt in the TMF.The TMF-induced Lorentz force increases with increasing frequency,and then decreases.The maximum value is obtained when the current frequency is 160 Hz,over that frequency the force decreases rapidly.When the iron-core is activated,the force increases when the melt closes to the iron-core.The Lorentz forces have inversely-proportional relationships with the electrical resistivity,the dfx/dρdecreases and the dfy/dρincreases with the increasing electrical resistivity(df/dρis the slope of the Lorentz force profile).

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TEMPERATURE FIELDS IN ELECTROSLAG REMELTING SLAB INGOTS

The method based on transient heat transfer model is adopted to simulate electro-slag remelting process. The calculated results of the model show that the process is in the quasi-steady state, and the shape of pool remains unchanged when the height of ingot is approximately 2.5-3 times the thickness of slab ingot. The change in the shape of pool is found to be strongly dependent on the pattern of melting rate, and hence, the power input; the depth of the molten pool increases with the increase in melting speed. It is concluded that a transient heat transfer model has to be used to obtain reliable input information for the entire, operatina time.

Effects of SiC and MgO on alumina-based ceramic foams filters

Alumina-based foam ceramic filters were fabricated by using alumina,SiC,magnesia powder as major materials.It has been found that this ceramic filter has a uniform macrostructure for filtering molten metals.The influences of SiC and magnesia content,the sintering temperatures on ceramic properties were discussed.Alumina-based foam ceramic filters containing 2.2 mass% magnesia and 7.6 mass% SiC has a compressive strength of 1.36 MPa and a thermal shock resistance of 5 times.Its main phases after 1 hour sintering at 1 500℃ consist of alumina,silicon carbide,spinel and mullite.

Numerical simulation of the liquid steel flow and solidification phenomena in the slab continuous casting process

A 3D coupling mathematical simulation program of the fluid flow, thermal transfer and solidification was developed based on the slab continuous casting process. Some characteristics such as fluid flow, solidification and temperature distribution near the submerged entry nozzle （SEN） and the corner of the mold were simulated and analyzed. The result of the calculation indicates that the flow of molten metal forms two big cycling zones in the mold after it flows out of the SEN, and the temperature at the center of the two zones is relatively low. Moreover, there is a small narrow cycling zone near the narrow side of the mold due to casting. The velocity of the surface flow, the turbulent kinetic energy and the F value might reveal the relationship between the fluctuation of meniscus and the quality of the slab to some degree.

Thermodynamic Model for Calculating Activity of Nitrogen and Boron in Fe-C-B-N Molten Metal

The solubility of nitrogen in Fe-C-B-N system was measured at 1 758 K,and the computational model on activity （action concentration） of nitrogen and boron was established based on phase diagram and the coexistence theory about metal melt structure model. Comparing the computed results with the experimental results,satisfactory conclusion can be obtained. The result shows that BN and B4C can exist in Fe-C-B-N molten metal at high temperature,which consequently restrains the nitrogen removal from the melt. However,B4C content is extremely low. Before graphite is precipitated,the influence of carbon on activity of nitrogen in melt is higher in ternary system than in binary system; however,this effect is contrary to that after graphite is precipitated.

Analysis of molten metal spreading and solidification behaviors utilizing moving particle full-implicit method

To retrieve the fuel debris in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants(1F),it is essential to infer the fuel debris distribution.In particular,the molten metal spreading behavior is one of the vital phenomena in nuclear severe accidents because it determines the initial condition for further accident scenarios such as molten core concrete interaction(MCCI).In this study,the fundamental molten metal spreading experiments were performed with different outlet diameters and sample amounts to investigate the effect of the outlet for spreading-solidification behavior.In the numerical analysis,the moving particle full-implicit method(MPFI),which is one of the particle methods,was applied to simulate the spreading experiments.In the MPFI framework,the melting-solidification model including heat transfer,radiation heat loss,phase change,and solid fraction-dependent viscosity was developed and implemented.In addition,the difference in the spreading and solidification behavior due to the outlet diameters was reproduced in the calculation.The simulation results reveal the detailed solidification procedure during the molten metal spreading.It is found that the viscosity change and the solid fraction change during the spreading are key factors for the free surface condition and solidified materials.Overall,it is suggested that the MPFI method has the potential to simulate the actual nuclear melt-down phenomena in the future.

Recent progress on the application of LIBS for metallurgical online analysis in China

Recent progress on the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy （LIBS） for metallurgical analysis particularly achieved by Chinese research community is briefly reviewed in this article. The content is mainly focused on the progress in experimental research and calibration methods toward LIBS applications for metallurgical online analysis over the past few years. Different experiment setups such as single-pulse and double-pulses LIBS schematics are introduced. Various calibration methods for different metallic samples are presented. Quantitative results reported in the literature and obtained in the analysis of various samples with different calibration methods are summarized. At the last section of this article, the difficulties of LIBS application for molten metal analysis in a furnace are discussed.