Analysis of Aluminum Alloy Double-Pulse MIG Welding Arc Signal Characteristics Based on Broadband Mode Decomposition

Welding voltage and current in arc signals are directly related to arc stability and welding quality.Process experiments with different parameters were organized according to the orthogonal experimental design method by constructing an aluminum alloy double-pulse metal inert gas(MIG)welding arc electric signal test platform.The data acquisition system of the aluminum alloy MIG welding process was established to obtain real-time arc signal information reflecting the welding process.The aluminum alloy’s collected double-pulse arc current signals are decomposed adaptively by broadband mode decomposition(BMD).The direct current(DC)signal,pulse signal,distortion signal,ripple signal,and noise signal are separated and extracted,and the composite multiscale fuzzy entropy(CMFE)is calculated for the component set of the electrical signal.The experimental results show that the current waveform obtained by the double-pulse MIG welding current signal is consistent with the corresponding weld forming diagram.Simultaneously,the composite multiscale fuzzy entropy is calculated for the arc characteristic parameters.The rationality of matching process parameters and arc stability of aluminum alloy’s double-pulse MIG welding were evaluated.

Mass Balance Modeling for Electric Arc Furnace and Ladle Furnace System in Steelmaking Facility in Turkey

In the electric arc furnace （EAF） steel production processes, scrap steel is principally used as a raw material instead of iron ore. In the steelmaking process with EAF, scrap is first melted in the furnace and then the desired chemical composition of the steel can be obtained in a special furnace such as ladle furnace （LF）. This kind of furnace process is used for the secondary refining of alloy steel. LF furnace offers strong heating fluxes and enables precise temperature control, thereby allowing for the addition of desired amounts of various alloying elements. It also provides outstanding desulfurization at high-temperature treatment by reducing molten steel fluxes and removing deoxidation products. Elemental analysis with mass balance modeling is important to know the precise amount of required alloys for the LF input with respect to scrap composition. In present study, chemical reactions with mass conservation law in EAF and LF were modeled altogether as a whole system and chemical compositions of the final steel alloy output can be obtained precisely according to different scrap compositions, alloying elements ratios, and other input amounts. Besides, it was found that the mass efficiency for iron element in the system is 95.93%. These efficiencies are calculated for all input elements as 8. 45% for C, 30.31% for Si, 46.36% for Mn, 30.64% for P, 41.96% for S, and 69.79% for Cr, etc. These efficiencies provide valuable ideas about the amount of the input materials that are vanished or combusted for 100 kg of each of the input materials in the EAF and LF system.

Potential Oxidative Stress in the Bodies of Electric Arc Welding Operators: Effect of Photochemical Smog

Objective To investigate whether photochemical smog emitted during the process of electric arc welding might cause oxidative stress and potential oxidative damage in the bodies of welding operators. Methods Seventy electric arc welding operators (WOs) and 70 healthy volunteers (HVs) were enrolled in a randomized controlled study design, in which the levels of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) in plasma as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and the level of lipoperoxide (LPO) in erythrocytes were determined by spectrophotometry. Results Compared with the average values of the above experimental parameters in the HVs group, the average values of VC and VE in plasma as well as those of SOD, CAT and GPX in erythrocytes in the WOs group were significantly decreased (P<0.005-0.0001), while the average value of LPO in erythrocytes in the WOs group was significantly increased (P<0.0001). The findings from the partial correlation analysis on the controlling of age suggested that with a prolonged duration of exposure to photochemical smog the values of VC, VE, SOD, and GPX, except for CAT, in the WOs were decreased gradually (P<0.05-0.005), the value of LPO in the WOs was increased gradually (P<0.001), and that with the ozone dose increased in the air in each worksite VC, VE, SOD, CAT and GPX decreased (P<0.005-0.001), but LPO increased (P<0.001). The findings from the reliability analysis for the VC, VE, SOD, CAT, GPX, and LPO values which were used to reflect oxidative stress and potential oxidative damage in the WOs showed that the reliability coefficients?alpha (6 items) was 0.8021, P<0.0001, and that the standardized item alpha was 0.9577, P<0.0001. Conclusion Findings in the present study suggest that there exists an oxidative stress induced by long-term exposure to photochemical smog in the bodies of WOs, thereby causing potential oxidative and lipoperoxidative damages in their bodies.

Fluid Flow Modeling of Arc Plasma and Bath Circulation in DC Electric Arc Furnace

A mathematical model describing the flow field, heat transfer and the electromagnetic phenomenon in a DC electric arc furnace has been developed. First the governing equations in the arc plasma region are solved and the calculated results of heat transfer, current density and shear stresses on the anode surface are used as boundary conditions in a model of molten bath. Then a two-dimensional time-dependent model is used to describe the flow field and electromagnetic phenomenon in the molten bath. Moreover, the effect of bottom electrode diameter on the circulation of molten bath is studied.

Metal-doped(Cu,Zn)Fe2O4 from integral utilization of toxic Zn-containing electric arc furnace dust: An environment-friendly heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst

Pure metal-doped(Cu,Zn)Fe2O4 was synthesized from Zn-containing electric arc furnace dust(EAFD)by solid-state reaction using copper salt as additive.The effects of pretreated EAFD-to-Cu2(OH)2CO3·6H2O mass ratio,calcination time,and calcination temperature on the structure and catalytic ability were systematically studied.Under the optimum conditions,the decolorization efficiency and total organic carbon(TOC)removal efficiency of the as-prepared ferrite for treating a Rhodamine B solution were approximately 90.0%and 45.0%,respectively,and the decolorization efficiency remained 83.0%after five recycles,suggesting that the as-prepared(Cu,Zn)Fe2O4 was an efficient heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst with high stability.The high catalytic activity mainly depended on the synergistic effect of iron and copper ions occupying octahedral positions.More importantly,the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure(TCLP)analysis illustrated that the toxic Zncontaining EAFD was transformed into harmless(Cu,Zn)Fe2O4 and that the concentrations of toxic ions in the degraded solution were all lower than the national emission standard(GB/31574-2015),further confirming that the as obtained sample is an environment-friendly heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst.

3D Numerical Analysis of the Arc Plasma Behavior in a Submerged DC Electric Arc Furnace for the Production of Fused MgO

A three dimensional steady-state magnetohydrodynamic model is developed for the arc plasma in a DC submerged electric arc furnace for the production of fused MgO. The arc is generated in a small semi-enclosed space formed by the graphite electrode, the molten bath and unmelted raw materials. The model is first used to solve a similar problem in a steel making furnace, and the calculated results are found to be in good agreement with the published measurements. The behavior of arcs with different arc lengths is also studied in the furnace for MgO production. From the distribution of the arc pressure on the bath surface it is shown that the arc plasma impingement is large enough to cause a crater-like depression on the surface of the MgO bath. The circulation of the high temperature air under the electrode may enhance the arc efficiency, especially for a shorter arc.

A novel hydrothermal method for zinc extraction and separation from zinc ferrite and electric arc furnace dust

A novel hydrothermal process was developed to extract zinc from pure zinc ferrite（ZnFe2O4） nanopowder and zinc-containing electric arc furnace（EAF） dust using hexahydrated ferric chloride（FeCl3-6H2O） as a decomposing agent.The effects of solid FeCl3-6H2O to ZnFe2O4 ratio by mass（RF/Z）,hydrothermal reaction temperature,and time on zinc extraction were systematically investigated.In the results,when the hydrothermal reaction is conducted at 150℃ for 2 h with RF/Z of 15：20,the efficiency of zinc extraction from ZnFe2O4 reaches97.2%,and the concentration of ferric ions（Fe^3＋） in the leaching solution is nearly zero,indicating a high selectivity for zinc.In addition,the zinc extraction efficiency from the EAF dust reaches 94.5%in the case of the hydrothermal reaction performed at 200℃ for 10 h with the solid FeCl3-6H2O to EAF dust ratio by mass（RF/EAF dust） of 15：10.Zinc and iron separation is achieved by adjusting the pH value of the leaching solution according to the different precipitation pH values of metal hydroxides.

Computer Aided Mass Balance Analysis for AC Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking

A mass balance analysis was undertaken for liquid steel production using a computer program specially developed for the AC electric arc furnace at an important alloy steel producer in Turkey. The data obtained by using the computer program were found to be very close to the actual production ones.

Heat Transfer Analysis for Industrial AC Electric Arc Furnace

The heat transfer analysis was performed for an AC electric arc furnace (EAF). Heat losses by conduction, convection and radiation from outer surface, roof, bottom and electrodes of EAF were determined in detail. Some suggestions about decreasing heat losses were presented.

Mathematical model on heat transfer of water-cooling steel-stick bottom electrode of DC electric arc furnace

For predicting and controlling the melted depth of bottomelectrode during the process of steelmaking, the water-cooling steel-stick electrode is taken as an example, to analyze the process ofheat transfer, then 3D mathematical model by control capacity methodis built. At the same time, the measurement on the melted depth ofbottom electrode is conducted which verified the correctness of thebuilt mathematical model. On the base of verification, all kinds ofkey parameters are calculated through the application and a series ofresults are simulated. Finally, the optimum parameters are found andthe service life of bottom electrode is prolonged.

Equilibrium Composition of a Plasma in the Low Voltage Air Circuit Breaker Contaminated by the Vapor of AgSnO2 Alloy Electrical Contacts

When the circuit breaker cuts the electric current, an electric arc is created between its electrodes. The success or failure of breaking the electric current by the circuit breaker depends strongly on the physico-chemical properties of the electric arc created, such as the composition of which depends on the material of the electrical contacts. In this work, we determine the equilibrium composition of the electric arc in the low voltage air circuit breaker with silver tin dioxide alloy contacts, in a temperature range from 500 K to 15,000 K and at atmospheric pressure. We use the Gibbs free energy minimization method and develop a computer code to determine the equilibrium composition of the created plasma. The analysis of the results obtained shows that O2 particles with a dissociation energy of 5.114 eV, NO with a dissociation energy of 6.503 eV, and N2 dissociation 9.756 eV dissociate around 3500 K, 5000 K, and 7500 K, respectively. We note that the electro-neutrality is established between the electrons and the cations: Ag+ and NO+, for temperatures lower than 6500 K. For temperatures higher than 6500 K, the electro-neutrality is established between the electrons and the cations: N+, O+, and Ag+. The numerical density of the electrons increases when the proportion of the vapor of the electrical contacts increases in the mixture, in particular for temperatures lower than 11,000 K.

Synthesis and Characterization of Ultra-fine Si_3N_4 by Electric Arc Plasma

Under conditions of electric-arc low-temperature plasma (LTP), ultra-finely dis- persed Si3N4 particles have been synthesized by using silicon powder and nitrogen as raw materi- als. The prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron spec- troscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The result indicates that the basic phase in Si3N4 produced is α- and β-Si3N4. The particle size of Si3N4 sample is in the range of 30-500 nm.

Development and Application of Castables for Ladle Nozzle of Electric Arc Furnace

The castables for ladle nozzle were developed using brown corundum as the main raw material and the right amounts of complex additives . The influence of several additives on the properties such as strength and permanent linear change of the samples was studied . The results showed that applying complex additives improved the strength and the volume stability of the castables greatly. The campaign of the castables for ladle nozzle has increased from about 40 heats to 70 heats.

High Alumina Refractory Bricks for Electric Arc Furnace Roofs

This standard specifies the sort, technical requirement, test method, inspection rules, marking, packing, transportation, storage and quality certification of high alumina refractory bricks for electric arc furnace roofs.

Theory and Practice of Heat Transfer in Electric Arc and Flare Furnaces and Power Plants

The author describes the fundamental laws of physics, the laws of thermal radiation of ionized and non-ionized gas volumes. Based on open laws, a modern theory of heat transfer and methods for calculating heat transfer in electric arc and flare metallurgical furnaces, furnaces of steam boilers, and combustion chambers of gas turbine plants of power plants have been developed. The use of scientific discovery makes it possible to create innovative electric arc steel-smelting furnaces, flare heating furnaces, and combustion chambers in which the consumption of electricity and fuel is reduced, productivity and service life are increased, and the amount of harmful emissions into the environment is reduced.

Revamping design of an EAF automatic temperature measurement and sampling robot

The function,features,and architecture of a robot that performs automatic temperature measurement and sampling applied on a 150-t AC electric arc furnace(EAF)production line of Baosteel were presented,and the key points of design and revamping experience on the site layout,device protection,lance tool,probe container,measuring position control,and system safety were summarized.Furthermore,a valuable reference for the application of automatic temperature measuring and sampling robots in EAF steelmaking plants will be provided.

Oxygen-assisted zinc recovery from electric arc furnace dust using magnesium chloride

Electric arc furnace(EAF)dust is an important secondary resource containing metals,such as zinc(Zn)and iron(Fe).Recover-ing Zn from EAF dust can contribute to resource recycling and reduce environmental impacts.However,the high chemical stability of ZnFe_(2)O_(4)in EAF dust poses challenges to Zn recovery.To address this issue,a facile approach that involves oxygen-assisted chlorination using molten MgCl_(2)is proposed.This work focused on elucidating the role of O2 in the reaction between ZnFe_(2)O_(4)and molten MgCl_(2).The results demonstrate that MgCl_(2)effectively broke down the ZnFe_(2)O_(4)structure,and the high O2 atmosphere considerably promoted the sep-aration of Zn from other components in the form of ZnCl_(2).The presence of O2 facilitated the formation of MgFe_(2)O_(4),which stabilized Fe and prevented its chlorination.Furthermore,the excessive use of MgCl_(2)resulted in increased evaporation loss,and high temperatures pro-moted the rapid separation of Zn.Building on these findings,we successfully extracted ZnCl_(2)-enriched volatiles from practical EAF dust through oxygen-assisted chlorination.Under optimized conditions,this method achieved exceptional Zn chlorination percentage of over 97%within a short period,while Fe chlorination remained below 1%.The resulting volatiles contained 85wt%of ZnCl_(2),which can be further processed to produce metallic Zn.The findings offer guidance for the selective recovery of valuable metals,particularly from solid wastes such as EAF dust.

STUDY ON THE TRANSPORT MECHANISM IN THE ANODE BOUNDARY LAYER OF WELDING ARGON ARC

The anode region of welding arc is divided into three subzones: the anode boundary layer, the presheath and the sheath. A model is established for analyzing the transport mechanism in the anode boundary layer. The computer program is designed and the governing equations of the dominating processes with the boundary conditions taken from the solutions of LTE plasmas are solved by applying the Runge-Kutta procedure. One parameter θ, the ratio of the heavy particle temperature at the free-fall edge to the anode surface temperature, is introduced into this study. The results indicate that then the parameter θ is equal to 6, the predicted heat flux at the anode surface matches the measured one. Based on the model, various plasma properties in the boundary layer can be obtained. The calculated results are in good agreement with the measurements.

EAF steelmaking process with increasing hot metal charging ratio and improving slagging regime

A new electric arc furnace （EAF） steelmaking process with increasing hot metal charging ratio and improving slagging regime simultaneously was developed and applied in a 50 t electric arc furnace for more than a year at No. 1 Steelmaking Plant of Shanxi Taigang Stainless Corporation Limited. The essential fact of the new EAF steelmaking process was to charge hot metal in two portions or steps： firstly, 35wt%-40wt% hot metal was pretreated by blowing oxygen in a specially designed reactor for decar burization and improving hot metal temperature and melting premelted slag; secondly, 30wt% hot metal was charged into EAF with high basicity refining slags from ladle furnace （LF）-vacuum degassing furnace （VD） refining process. The results show that the hot metal charging ratio can reach to about 65wt%-70wt% for the new EAF steelrnaking process; meanwhile, the tap-to-tap time of a 50 t EAF can shorten by 5-10 min, the electricity consumption can decrease by 35-50 kW·h/t, the lime consumption can reduce by 10.5 kg/t of molten steel, and the content of harmful heavy metals in molten steel can be easily controlled to less than the upper limits of aimed steel specification or grade compared with the traditional EAF steelmaking process. In addition, the dephosphorization ability shows a slight strengthening, however, a small degree of lessening for desulphurization ability is observed for the new EAF steelmaking process, but the weakness of desulphurization ability cannot become an obstacle to its further application since a stronger desulphurization ability can be achieved during secondary refining of LF coupled with VD after EAF steelmaking process.

Ultrasound effects on zinc recovery from EAF dust by sulfuric acid leaching

In this work, an ultrasound-assisted leaching process was studied for the recovery of zinc from electric arc furnace （EAF） dust, in which zinc was mainly present in the form of franklinite （60%）. HydrometaUurgy is emerging as a preferred process for the recovery of a va- riety of metals, and the use of ultrasound could offer advantages over the conventional leaching process, especially for the dissolution of franklinite. Franklinite is a refractory phase that is difficult to leach and represents the main obstacle in conventional hydrometallurgy proc- essing. Atmospheric leaching with different sulfuric acid concentrations （0.2-2.0 M） at two temperatures （323 and 353 K） was performed. The tests were conducted using both conventional and ultrasound-assisted leaching. After the leaching tests, the solid residues were charac- terized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD） techniques, whereas the leach liquor was analyzed by induc- tively coupled plasma spectroscopy OCP）. The use of ultrasound facilitated the dissolution of franklinite at low acid concentrations and re- suited in a greater zinc recovery under all of the investigated operating conditions.