Showing papers in "Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B-process Metallurgy and Materials Processing Science in 2013"

Highly Anisotropic Steel Processed by Selective Laser Melting

Abstract: For additive manufacturing of metals, selective laser melting can be employed. The microstructure evolution is directly influenced by processing parameters. Employing a high energy laser system, samples made from austenitic stainless steel were manufactured. The microstructure obtained is characterized by an extremely high degree of anisotropy featuring coarse elongated grains and a 〈001〉 texture alongside the build direction during processing. Eventually, the anisotropy of the microstructure drastically affects the monotonic properties of the current material.

Hydrogen Reduction Kinetics of Magnetite Concentrate Particles Relevant to a Novel Flash Ironmaking Process

Abstract: A novel ironmaking technology is under development at the University of Utah. The purpose of this research was to determine comprehensive kinetics of the flash reduction reaction of magnetite concentrate particles by hydrogen. Experiments were carried out in the temperature range of 1423 K to 1673 K (1150 °C to 1400 °C) with the other experimental variables being hydrogen partial pressure and particle size. The nucleation and growth kinetics expression was found to describe the reduction rate of fine concentrate particles and the reduction kinetics had a 1/2-order dependence on hydrogen partial pressure and an activation energy of 463 kJ/mol. Unexpectedly, large concentrate particles reacted faster at 1423 K and 1473 K (1150 °C and 1200 °C), but the effect of particle size was negligible when the reduction temperature was above 1573 K (1300 °C). A complete reaction rate expression incorporating all these factors was formulated.

Effect of Al2O3 and CaO/SiO2 on the Viscosity of Calcium-Silicate–Based Slags Containing 10 Mass Pct MgO

Abstract: The effect of Al2O3 and CaO/SiO2 on the viscosity of the CaO-SiO2-10 mass pct MgO-Al2O3 slags was studied at fully liquid temperatures of 1773 K (1500 °C) and below. At fixed CaO/SiO2 between 0.8 and 1.3, higher Al2O3 content increased the slag viscosity due to the polymerization of the aluminate structures. At fixed Al2O3 of 15 and 20 mass pct, increasing the CaO/SiO2 from 0.8 to 1.3 resulted in lower viscosity due to the depolymerization of the aluminate structure.

Reduction Behavior of Panzhihua Titanomagnetite Concentrates with Coal

Abstract: The reduction behavior of the Panzhihua titanomagnetite concentrates (PTC) briquette with coal was investigated by temperature-programmed heating under argon atmosphere in a vertical tube electric furnace. The mass loss behavior of the PTC-coal mixture was checked by thermogravimetric analysis method in argon with a heating rate of 5 K (5 °C)/ min. It was found that there are five stages during the carbothermic reduction process of the PTC. The devolatilization of coal occurred in the first stage, and reductions of iron oxides mainly occurred in the second and third stages. The reduction rate of iron oxide in the third stage was much higher than that in the second stage because of the significant rate of carbon gasification reaction. The iron in the ilmenite was reduced in the fourth stage. In the final stage, the rutile was partially reduced to lower valence oxides. The phase transformation of the briquette reduced at different temperatures was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The main phases of sample reduced at 1173 K (900 °C) are metallic iron, ilmenite (FeTiO3), and titanomagnetite (Fe3–x Ti x O4). The traces of rutile (TiO2) were observed at 1273 K (1000 °C). The iron carbide (Fe3C) and ferrous-pseudobrookite (FeTi2O5) appeared at 1473 K (1200 °C). The titanium carbide was found in the sample reduced at 1623 K (1350 °C). The shrinkages of reduced briquettes, which increased with increase in the temperature, were found to depend greatly on the temperature. With increasing the reduction temperature to 1573 K (1300 °C), the iron nuggets were observed outside of the samples reduced. The nugget formation can indicate a new process of ironmaking with titanomagnetite similar to ITmk3 (Ironmaking Technology Mark 3).

Effect of CaO Addition on Iron Recovery from Copper Smelting Slags by Solid Carbon

Abstract: We investigated the effect of flux (lime) addition on the reduction behavior of iron oxide in copper slag by solid carbon at 1773 K (1500 °C). In particular, we quantified the recovery of iron by performing typical kinetic analysis and considering slag foaming, which is strongly affected by the thermophysical properties of slags. The iron oxide in the copper slag was consistently reduced by solid carbon over time. In the kinetic analysis, we determined mass transfer coefficients with and without considering slag foaming using a gas holdup factor. The mass transfer of FeO was not significantly changed by CaO addition when slag foaming was ignored, whereas the mass transfer of FeO when slag foaming was considered was at a minimum in the 20 mass pct CaO system. Iron recovery, defined as the ratio of the amount of iron clearly transferred to the base metal ingot to the initial amount of iron in the slag phase before reduction, was maximal (about 90 pct) in the 20 mass pct CaO system. Various types of solid compounds, including Mg2SiO4 and Ca2SiO4, were precipitated in slags during the FeO reduction process, and these compounds strongly affected the reduction kinetics of FeO as well as iron recovery. Iron recovery was the greatest in the 20 mass pct CaO system because no solid compounds formed in this system, resulting in a highly fluid slag. This fluid slag allowed iron droplets to fall rapidly with high terminal velocity to the bottom of the crucible. A linear relationship between the mass transfer coefficient of FeO considering slag foaming and foam stability was obtained, from which we concluded that the mass transfer of FeO in slag was effectively promoted not only by gas evolution due to reduction reactions but also by foamy slag containing solid compounds. However, the reduced iron droplets were finely dispersed in foamy and viscous slags, making actual iron recovery a challenge.

A Reaction Between High Mn-High Al Steel and CaO-SiO2-Type Molten Mold Flux: Part I. Composition Evolution in Molten Mold Flux

Abstract: In order to elucidate the reaction mechanism between high Mn-high Al steel such as twin-induced plasticity steel and molten mold flux composed mainly of CaO-SiO2 during continuous casting process, a series of laboratory-scale experiments were carried out in the present study. Molten steel and molten flux were brought to react in a refractory crucible in a temperature range between 1713 K to 1823 K (1440 °C to 1550 °C) and composition evolution in the steel and the flux was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and electron probe microanalysis. The amount of SiO2 in the flux was significantly reduced by Al in the steel; thus, Al2O3 was accumulated in the flux as a result of a chemical reaction, 4[Al] + 3(SiO2) = 3[Si] + 2(Al2O3). In order to find a major factor which governs the reaction, a number of factors ((pct CaO/pct SiO2), (pct Al2O3), [pct Al], [pct Si], and temperature) were varied in the experiments. It was found that the above chemical reaction was mostly governed by [pct Al] in the molten steel. Temperature had a mild effect on the reaction. On the other hand, (pct CaO/pct SiO2), (pct Al2O3), and [pct Si] did not show any noticeable effect on the reaction. Apart from the above reaction, the following reactions are also thought to happen simultaneously: 2[Mn] + (SiO2) = [Si] + 2(MnO) and 2[Fe] + (SiO2) = [Si] + 2(FeO). These oxide components were subsequently reduced by Al in the molten steel. Na2O in the molten flux was gradually decreased and the decrease was accelerated by increasing [pct Al] and temperature. Possible reactions affecting the Al2O3 accumulation are summarized.

Estimation of Cooling Rates During Close-Coupled Gas Atomization Using Secondary Dendrite Arm Spacing Measurement

Abstract: Al-4 wt pct Cu alloy has been gas atomized using a commercial close-coupled gas-atomization system. The resulting metal powders have been sieved into six size fractions, and the SDAS has been determined using electron microscopy. Cooling rates for the powders have been estimated using a range of published conversion factors for Al-Cu alloy, with reasonable agreement being found between sources. We find that cooling rates are very low relative to those often quoted for gas-atomized powders, of the order of 104 K s−1 for sub-38 µm powders. We believe that a number of numerical studies of gas atomization have overestimated the cooling rate during solidification, probably as a consequence of overestimating the differential velocity between the gas and the particles. From the cooling rates measured in the current study, we estimate that such velocities are unlikely to exceed 20 m s−1.

A Reaction Between High Mn-High Al Steel and CaO-SiO 2 -Type Molten Mold Flux: Part II. Reaction Mechanism, Interface Morphology, and Al 2 O 3 Accumulation in Molten Mold Flux

Abstract: Following a series of laboratory-scale experiments, the mechanism of a chemical reaction \(4[\rm{Al}] + 3(\rm{SiO}_2) = 3[\rm{Si}] + 2(\rm{Al}_2\rm{O}_3)\) between high-alloyed TWIP (TWin-Induced Plasticity) steel containing Mn and Al and molten mold flux composed mainly of CaO-SiO2 during the continuous casting process is discussed in the present article in the context of kinetic analysis, morphological evolution at the reaction interface. By the kinetic analysis using a two-film theory, a rate-controlling step of the chemical reaction at the interface between the molten steel and the molten flux is found to be mass transport of Al in a boundary layer of the molten steel, as long as the molten steel and the molten flux phases are concerned. Mass transfer coefficient of the Al in the boundary layer (\(k_{\rm{Al}}\)) is estimated to be 0.9 to 1.2 × 10−4 m/s at 1773 K (\(1500\,^{\circ}\)C). By utilizing experimental data at various temperatures, the following equation is obtained for the \(k_{\rm{Al}}; \ln k_{\rm{Al}} = -14,290/T - 1.1107.\) Activation energy for the mass transfer of Al in the boundary layer is 119 kJ/mol, which is close to a value of activation energy for mass transfer in metal phase. The composition evolution of Al in the molten steel was well explained by the mechanism of Al mass transfer. On the other hand, when the concentration of Al in the steel was high, a significant deviation of the composition evolution of Al in the molten steel was observed. By observing reaction interface between the molten steel and the molten flux, it is thought that the chemical reaction controlled by the mass transfer of Al seemed to be disturbed by formation of a solid product layer of MgAl2O4. A model based on a dynamic mass balance and the reaction mechanism of mass transfer of Al in the boundary layer for the low Al steel was developed to predict (pct Al2O3) accumulation rate in the molten mold flux.

Producing of AA5083/ZrO 2 Nanocomposite by Friction Stir Processing (FSP)

Abstract: In this study, friction stir processing (FSP) was used to produce AA5083/ZrO2 nanocomposite layer. Optical microscopy and SEM were used to probe the microstructures formed in the composite layer. In addition, the mechanical properties of each sample are characterized using both tensile and hardness tests. Results showed that FSP is an effective process to fabricate AA5083/ZrO2 nanocomposite layer with uniform distribution of ZrO2 particles, good interfacial integrity, and significant grain refinement. On processing, in the proper combination of process parameters, the metal matrix composite layer was observed to have increased tensile and hardness properties.

Numerical Simulation of Gas and Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Gas-Stirred Systems Based on Euler–Euler Approach

Abstract: Based on the Euler–Euler approach, a mathematical model is established to describe gas and liquid two-phase flow in the gas-stirred system for steelmaking, and the influences of the interphase force including turbulent dispersion force, drag force, and lift force are investigated. The modified k–e model with extra source terms to account for the bubble-induced turbulence is adopted to model the turbulence in the system, and the simulation results of gas volume fraction, liquid velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy are compared with the measured data. The results show that the turbulent dispersion force dominates the bubbly plume shape and is responsible for successful prediction of the gas volume fraction. The bubble-induced turbulence has a significant influence on the liquid turbulence, and the conversion coefficient Cb, which denotes the fraction of bubble-induced energy converted into liquid turbulence, should be in the range of 0.8 and 0.9. The drag force also strongly influences the bubbly plume dynamics, and the coefficient model proposed by Kolev performs the best for determining the drag force; however, the lift force and bubble diameter do not have much effect on the current bubbly plume system. For different gas flow rates, the current Euler–Euler approach predictions are more consistent with the measured data than the Euler–Lagrange approach and the early Euler–Euler model.

Structure-Property Relationship of CaO-MgO-SiO 2 Slag: Quantitative Analysis of Raman Spectra

Abstract: The quantitative structural information such as the relative abundance of silicate discrete anions (Q n units) and the concentration of three types of oxygens, viz. free-, bridging- and nonbridging oxygen can be obtained from micro-Raman spectra of the quenched CaO-SiO2-MgO glass samples. Various transport properties such as viscosity, density, and electrical conductivity can be expected as a simple linear function of “ln (Q3/Q2),” indicating that these physical properties are strongly dependent on a degree of polymerization of silicate melts. The methodology outlined in the current study can be extended to predict the physicochemical properties of silicate melts in ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgical processes.

Role of Grain Refinement in the Hot Tearing of Cast Al-Cu Alloy

Abstract: The effects of grain refinement on hot tear formation and contraction behavior in a modified Al-Cu alloy 206 (M206) have been studied. The experiments were conducted using a newly developed mold which could simultaneously measure the contraction force/temperature during solidification for a restrained casting, and thereby could be used to investigate hot tear formation. Quantitative information on crack initiation and propagation was obtained by analyzing load measurement data. Al-Ti and Al-Ti-B master alloys were added to the melt to refine the grains to obtain grains ranging from columnar dendritic to equiaxed dendritic and globular structures. Effects of grain structure and grain size on hot tearing susceptibility were investigated. The correlations between microstructure evolution in grain-refined castings at various levels and hot tear formation were determined and discussed. Grain refinement was found to have a complex effect on load onset. Hot tearing tendency was significantly affected by both grain size and grain morphology as reflected by the measured data.

Numerical Simulations of Inclusion Behavior in Gas-Stirred Ladles

Abstract: A computation fluid dynamics–population balance model (CFD–PBM) coupled model has been proposed to investigate the bubbly plume flow and inclusion behavior including growth, size distribution, and removal in gas-stirred ladles, and some new and important phenomena and mechanisms were presented. For the bubbly plume flow, a modified k-e model with extra source terms to account for the bubble-induced turbulence was adopted to model the turbulence, and the bubble turbulent dispersion force was taken into account to predict gas volume fraction distribution in the turbulent gas-stirred system. For inclusion behavior, the phenomena of inclusions turbulent random motion, bubbles wake, and slag eye forming on the molten steel surface were considered. In addition, the multiple mechanisms both that promote inclusion growth due to inclusion–inclusion collision caused by turbulent random motion, shear rate in turbulent eddy, and difference inclusion Stokes velocities, and the mechanisms that promote inclusion removal due to bubble-inclusion turbulence random collision, bubble-inclusion turbulent shear collision, bubble-inclusion buoyancy collision, inclusion own floatation near slag–metal interface, bubble wake capture, and wall adhesion were investigated. The importance of different mechanisms and total inclusion removal ratio under different conditions, and the distribution of inclusion number densities in ladle, were discussed and clarified. The results show that at a low gas flow rate, the inclusion growth is mainly attributed to both turbulent shear collision and Stokes collision, which is notably affected by the Stokes collision efficiency, and the inclusion removal is mainly attributed to the bubble-inclusion buoyancy collision and inclusion own floatation near slag–metal interface. At a higher gas flow rate, the inclusions appear as turbulence random motion in bubbly plume zone, and both the inclusion–inclusion and inclusion-bubble turbulent random collisions become important for inclusion growth and removal. With the increase of the gas flow rate, the total removal ratio increases, but when the gas flow rate exceeds 200 NL/min in 150-ton ladle, the total removal ration almost does not change. For the larger size inclusions, the number density in bubbly plume zone is less than that in the sidewall recirculation zones, but for the small size inclusions, the distribution of number density shows the opposite trend.

Effects of Basicity and B 2 O 3 on the Crystallization and Heat Transfer Behaviors of Low Fluorine Mold Flux for Casting Medium Carbon Steels

Abstract: An investigation was carried out to study the effects of basicity (CaO/Si2O) and B2O3 on the crystallization and heat transfer behaviors of low fluorine mold flux for casting medium carbon steels. The double hot thermocouple technique (DHTT) was employed to study the crystallization behavior of mold flux with a different basicity and B2O3 content, under the simulated thermal gradient as in a real caster. The infrared emitter technique (IET) was also applied for the study of heat transfer behavior of the above mold fluxes. By combining the results of IET and DHTT, this article indicated that the increase of basicity would decrease the general heat transfer rate of mold flux, as it tends to promote crystallization of mold flux apparently, while B2O3 has the opposite function. The combined effects of basicity and B2O3 could be used to adjust the general crystallization and heat transfer properties of low fluorine mold flux for casting medium carbon steels, which would provide an instructive way for the design of Fluorine free mold flux for casting medium carbon steels.

Impurities Removal from Metallurgical-Grade Silicon by Combined Sn-Si and Al-Si Refining Processes

Abstract: The purification of metallurgical-grade silicon (MG-Si) by combined solvent refining processes has been studied. The final high-purity silicon was recovered through Sn-Si refining and Al-Si refining processes in sequence after acid leaching, and the removal mechanism of impurities was explored. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) chemical analysis revealed the concentrations of main impurities including B and P, and typical metallic impurities except for solvents Sn and Al were reduced to below 1 ppmw. The final removal efficiencies of B and P were 97.7 pct and 99.8 pct, respectively, and those of most metallic impurities were above 99.9 pct. SEM analysis showed that P-containing phases (Al-Ca-Mg-Si-P and Al-Si-P) formed on the surface of refined Si after Sn-Si refining and Al-Si refining, which was confirmed to be the main approach for P removal. It was also found that the formation of binary silicide such as Fe3Si7 and Mn11Si19 or multicomponent phases such as Ca-Mg-Si phase occurred during the solvent refining process, and they segregated on the grain boundaries in Si or attached to the surface of Si, which led to high removal efficiency of metallic impurities by the solvent refining process.

A Critical Review of the Modified Froude Number in Ladle Metallurgy

Abstract: The modeling of gas–liquid plumes in steelmaking ladles has been the subject of many investigations. In most studies, the “modified” Froude number, based on the momentum of the injected gas, has been employed to characterize two-phase plumes. This approach has several shortcomings and is critically reviewed in the present work. Based on an extensive review of previous work and theoretical considerations, it is demonstrated that the injected momentum and consequently, the modified Froude number has no significance to gas blowing operations in Ladle Metallurgy. Instead, an approach based on the “plume” Froude number, derived from the buoyancy of the plume, is shown to be more useful in modeling the plume as well as ladle hydrodynamics. The dissipation behavior of the gas momentum in the vicinity of the injector is further clarified.

Establishing a Mathematical Model to Predict the Tensile Strength of Friction Stir Welded Pure Copper Joints

Abstract: This investigation was undertaken to predict the tensile strength of friction stir welded pure copper. Response surface methodology based on a central composite rotatable design with four welding parameters, five levels, and 31 runs was used to conduct the experiments and to develop the mathematical regression model by means of Design-Expert software. Four welding parameters considered were tool profile design, rotational speed, welding speed, and axial force. Analysis of variance was applied to validate the predicted model. Confirmation experiments including microstructural characterization and conducted tensile tests showed that developed models are reasonably accurate. The results showed that the joints welded using the square and triangular tools had higher tensile strength compared to the joints welded using other tools. The increase in tool rotational speed, welding speed, and axial force resulted in increasing the tensile strength of the joints up to a maximum value. Also, the developed model showed that the optimum parameters to get a maximum of tensile strength were rotational speed, welding speed, and axial force of 942 rpm, 84 mm/min, and 1.62 kN, respectively.

The Rate of the Phosphorous Reaction Between Liquid Iron and Slag

Abstract: In the current study, the rates of dephosphorization and rephosphorization of liquid iron with simulated steelmaking slags were investigated at 1873 K (1600° C). The experiments were conducted in an induction furnace with supplemental heating to maintain a consistent temperature within both the metal and slag phases. An integrated form of the rate equation was used to evaluate the results, assuming mass transfer in both the slag and metal was rate controlling. The results of the current and previous studies indicate that the mass transfer parameter, the slag-metal surface area, and the overall mass transfer coefficient (A*k0), decreased as the reaction proceeded. It is proposed that initially when the rate and oxygen flux are high, the interfacial energy decreases, and the interfacial fluid velocity increases causing disruption of the slag metal interface. The consequent increases in interfacial area and interfacial fluid flow cause A*k0 to be high initially and then decrease as the oxygen flux decreases.

Study of Organic and Inorganic Binders on Strength of Iron Oxide Pellets

Abstract: Bentonite is a predominant binder used in iron ore pelletization. However, the presence of a high content of silica and alumina in bentonite is considered undesirable for ironmaking operations. The objective of this study was to identify the alternatives of bentonite for iron ore pelletization. To achieve this goal, different types of organic and inorganic binders were utilized to produce iron oxide pellets. The quality of these iron oxide pellets was compared with pellets made using bentonite. All pellets were tested for physical strength at different stages of pelletization to determine their ability to survive during shipping and handling. The results show that organic binders such as lactose monohydrate, hemicellulose, and sodium lignosulfonate can provide sufficient strength to indurated pellets.

Control of MgO·Al2O3 Spinel Inclusions during Protective Gas Electroslag Remelting of Die Steel

Abstract: The effect of calcium treatment and/or aluminum-based deoxidant addition on the oxygen control and modification of MgO·Al2O3 spinel inclusions during protective gas electroslag remelting (P-ESR) of H13 die steel with low oxygen content was experimentally studied. It is found that all the inclusions in the consumable electrode are MgO·Al2O3 spinels, besides a few MgO·Al2O3 spinels surrounded by an outer (Ti,V)N or MnS layer. After P-ESR refining combined with proper calcium treatment, all the original MgO·Al2O3 spinels in the electrode (except for the original MgO·Al2O3 spinels having been removed in the P-ESR process) were modified to mainly CaO-MgO-Al2O3 and some CaO-Al2O3 inclusions, both of which have a low melting point and homogeneous compositions. In the case of only Al-based deoxidant addition, all the oxide inclusions remaining in ESR ingots are MgO·Al2O3 spinels. The operation of Al-based deoxidant addition and/or calcium treatment during P-ESR of electrode steel containing low oxygen content is invalid to further reduce the oxygen content and oxide inclusions amount compared with remelting only under protective gas atmosphere. All the original sulfide inclusions were removed after the P-ESR process. Most of the inclusions in ESR ingots are about 2 μm in size. The mechanisms of non-metallic inclusions evolution and modification of MgO·Al2O3 spinels by calcium treatment during the P-ESR process were proposed.

Characterization of Ceramic Foam Filters Used for Liquid Metal Filtration

Abstract: In the current study, the morphology including tortuosity, and the permeability of 50-mm thick commercially available 30, 40, 50, and 80 pores per inch (PPI) alumina ceramic foam filters (CFFs) have been investigated. Measurements have been taken of cell (pore), window, and strut sizes, porosity, tortuosity, and liquid permeability. Water velocities from ~0.015 to 0.77 m/s have been used to derive both first-order (Darcy) and second-order (Non-Darcy) terms for being used with the Forchheimer equation. Measurements were made using 49-mm “straight through” and 101-mm diameter “expanding flow field” designs. Results from the two designs are compared with calculations made using COMSOL 4.2a® 2D axial symmetric finite element modeling (FEM), as a function of velocity and filter PPI. Permeability results are correlated using directly measurable parameters and compared with the previously published results. Development of improved wall sealing (49 mm) and elimination of wall effects (101 mm) have led to a high level of agreement between experimental, analytic, and FEM methods (±0 to 7 pct on predicted pressure drop) for both types of experiments. Tortuosity has been determined by two inductive methods, one using cold-solidified samples at 60 kHz and the other using liquid metal at 50 Hz, giving comparable results.

Phase Field Simulation of Binary Alloy Dendrite Growth Under Thermal- and Forced-Flow Fields: An Implementation of the Parallel–Multigrid Approach

Abstract: Dendrite growth and morphology evolution during solidification have been studied using a phase field model incorporating melt convection effects, which was solved using a robust and efficient parallel, multigrid computing approach. Single dendrite growth against the flow of the melt was studied under a wide range of growth parameters, including the Lewis number (Le) and the Prandtl number (Pr) that express the relative strengths of thermal diffusivity to solute diffusivity and kinematic viscosity to thermal diffusivity. Multidendrite growths for both columnar and equiaxed cases were investigated, and important physical aspects including solute recirculation, tip splitting, and dendrite tilting against convection have been captured and discussed. The robustness of the parallel–multigrid approach enabled the simulation of dendrite growth for metallic alloys with Le ~ 104 and Pr ~ 10−2, and the interplay between crystallographic anisotropy and local solid/liquid interfacial conditions due to convection on the tendency for tip splitting was revealed.

Model Investigations on the Stability of the Steel-Slag Interface in Continuous-Casting Process

Abstract: In the continuous-casting mold, the mold powder in contact with the liquid steel surface forms a liquid slag layer. The flow along the steel-slag interface generates shear stress at the interface, waves, and leads to fingerlike protrusions of liquid slag into steel. Reaching a critical flow velocity and thereby shear stress, the protrusions can disintegrate into slag droplets following the flow in the liquid steel pool. These entrained droplets can form finally nonmetallic inclusions in steel material, cause defects in the final product, and therefore, should be avoided. In the current work, the stability of a liquid-liquid interface without mass transfer between phases was investigated in cold model study using a single-roller driven flow in oil-water systems with various oil properties. Applying the similarity theory, two dimensionless numbers were identified, viz. capillary number Ca and the ratio of kinematic viscosities ν 1/ν 2, which are suitable to describe the force balance for the problem treated. The critical values of the dimensionless capillary number Ca* marking the start of lighter phase entrainment into the heavier fluid, are determined over a wide range of fluid properties. The dimensionless number ν 1/ν 2 was defined as the ratio of kinematic viscosities of the lighter phase ν 1 and heavier phase ν 2. The ratios of kinematic viscosities of different steel-slag systems were calculated using measured thermophysical properties. With the knowledge of thermophysical properties of steel-slag systems, Ca* for slag entrainment as a function of v 1/v 2 is derived. Assuming no reaction between the phases and no interfacial flow, slag entrainment should not occur under the usual casting conditions.

Removal of Boron from Silicon-Tin Solvent by Slag Treatment

Abstract: To eliminate B effectively from Si for its use in a solar cell, a novel process involving the slag refining of molten Si with Sn addition was investigated. The partition ratio of B between CaO-SiO2-24 mol pct CaF2 slag and Si-Sn alloy at 1673 K (1400 °C) was determined by the chemical equilibrium technique. It was found that the partition ratio of B was remarkably increased with the increase in Sn content of alloy, which attributes to the increase in activity coefficient of B as well as the oxygen partial pressure. The partition function was accounted as much as 200 when the alloy composition was Si-82.4 mol pct Sn, which was much higher than the reported values in the range of 1 to 3. The required amounts of slag used for B removal from Si-30, 50, and 70 mol pct Sn melts were only 15.6 pct, 6.5 pct, and 1.2 pct of that used for the removal of B directly from MG-Si without Sn addition in a single slag treatment.

Effect of High Cooling Rates on the Mineralogy and Hydraulic Properties of Stainless Steel Slags

Abstract: This article investigates the effect of chemical composition and cooling rate during solidification on the mineralogy and hydraulic properties of synthetic stainless steel slags. Three synthetic slags, covering the range of typical chemical composition in industrial practice, were subjected to high cooling rates, by melt spinning granulation or quenching in water, and to low cooling rates, by cooling inside the furnace. Both methods of rapid cooling led to volumetrically stable slags unlike the slow cooling which resulted in a powder-like material. Stabilized slags consisted predominantly of lamellar β-dicalcium silicate (β-C2S) and Mg, Ca-silicates (merwinite and bredigite); the latter form the matrix at low basicity and are segregated along the C2S grain boundaries at high basicities. Slowly cooled slags consist of the γ-C2S polymorph instead of the β-C2S and of less Mg, Ca-silicates. Isothermal conduction calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis indicate the occurrence of hydration reactions in the stabilized slags after mixing with water, while calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) of typical acicular morphology are identified by SEM. The present results demonstrate that the application of high cooling rates can result in a stable, environmental-friendly, hydraulic binder from stainless steel slags, rich in β-C2S, without the necessity of introducing any additions to arrest the β polymorph.

Effects of a Magnetic Field on Turbulent Flow in the Mold Region of a Steel Caster

Abstract: Electromagnetic braking (EMBr) greatly influences turbulent flow in the continuous casting mold and its transient stability, which affects level fluctuations and inclusion entrainment. Large eddy simulations are performed to investigate these transient flow phenomena using an accurate numerical scheme implemented on a graphics processing unit. The important effect of the current flow through the conducting solid steel shell on stabilizing the fluid flow pattern is investigated. The computational model is first validated with measurements made in a scaled physical model with a low melting point liquid metal and is then applied to a full-scale industrial caster. The overall flow field in the scale model was matched in the real caster by keeping only the Stuart number constant. The free surface-level behaviors can be matched by scaling the results using a similarity criterion based on the ratio of the Froude numbers. The transient behavior of the mold flow reveals the effects of EMBr on stability of the jet, top surface velocities, surface-level profiles, and surface-level fluctuations.

Experimental Characterization of Heat Transfer Coefficients During Hot Forming Die Quenching of Boron Steel

Abstract: The heat transfer coefficient (HTC) between the sheet metal and the cold tool is required to predict the final microstructure and mechanical properties of parts manufactured via hot forming die quenching Temperature data obtained from hot stamping experiments conducted on boron steel blanks were processed using an inverse heat conduction algorithm to calculate heat fluxes and temperatures at the blank/die interface The effect of the thermocouple response time on the calculated heat flux was compensated by minimizing the heat imbalance between the blank and the die Peak HTCs obtained at the end of the stamping phase match steady-state model predictions At higher blank temperatures, the time-dependent deformation of contact asperities is associated with a transient regime in which calculated HTCs are a function of the initial stamping temperature

Numerical Modeling of Free Surface Dynamics of Melt in an Alternate Electromagnetic Field: Part I. Implementation and Verification of Model

Abstract: By means of ANSYS Classic and ANSYS CFX external coupling, a numerical model for free surface dynamics of electrically conductive fluid in an alternate electromagnetic field is developed. Volume of Fluid (VOF) numerical technique and k–ω SST turbulence model are applied for the high Reynolds number two-phase flow calculation. The model is extended on 3D and adjusted for the case of electromagnetic levitation. Results for the steady-state free surface shapes obtained with transient calculations are compared with other models and experimental measurements in induction furnaces, induction furnace with cold crucible, and electromagnetic levitation melting device. Numerical calculation results of free surface dynamics are compared with analytic estimation of free surface oscillation period. Parameter studies by means of developed approach and comparison between 3D simulations of free surface dynamics of electromagnetically induced flow with k–ω SST and large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence models are discussed in the second part of the article to follow.

Evaluation of Centrifugal Casting Process Parameters for In Situ Fabricated Functionally Gradient Fe-TiC Composite

Abstract: A gradient Fe-TiC composite was successfully produced via combination of in situ reaction with centrifugal casting techniques. Additionally, some of the effective parameters of the centrifugal casting process have been studied. Cast iron and ferrotitanium, which were used as raw materials, were melted using a high-frequency induction furnace coupled with centrifugal equipment. The microstructure and phase characterization of the fabricated composite was studied by scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the production of a pearlite matrix composite reinforced by TiC particles is feasible. The distribution of TiC in the pearlitic matrix is completely uneven as a result of density difference between molten medium and TiC in the centrifugal casting process.

Simulation of Flow Fluid in the BOF Steelmaking Process

Abstract: The basic oxygen furnace (BOF) smelting process consists of different chemical reactions among oxygen, slag, and molten steel, which engenders a vigorous stirring process to promote slagging, dephosphorization, decarbonization, heating of molten steel, and homogenization of steel composition and temperature. Therefore, the oxygen flow rate, lance height, and slag thickness vary during the smelting process. This simulation demonstrated a three-dimensional mathematical model for a 100 t converter applying four-hole supersonic oxygen lance and simulated the effect of oxygen flow rate, lance height, and slag thickness on the flow of molten bath. It is found that as the oxygen flow rate increases, the impact area and depth increases, which increases the flow speed in the molten bath and decreases the area of dead zone. Low oxygen lance height benefits the increase of impact depth and accelerates the flow speed of liquid steel on the surface of the bath, while high oxygen lance height benefits the increase of impact area, thereafter enhances the uniform distribution of radial velocity in the molten steel and increases the flow velocity of molten steel at the bottom of furnace hearth. As the slag thickness increases, the diameter of impinging cavity on the slag and steel surface decreases. The radial velocity of liquid steel in the molten bath is well distributed when the jet flow impact on the slag layer increases.