Liquid Inclusion Collision and Agglomeration in Calcium-Treated Aluminum-Killed Steel

This work addresses conflicting results in the literature regarding liquid inclusion agglomeration. To assess whether liquid calcium aluminates do agglomerate in liquid steel, laboratory experiments were performed: melting electrolytic iron, deoxidizing the melt with aluminum and subsequently calcium treating the deoxidation products (alumina and magnesia-alumina spinel inclusions). Under laboratory conditions, solid spinels and alumina inclusions were successfully modified, producing a new population of much smaller calcium aluminate inclusions. The new population of inclusions forms because the presence of calcium in the liquid steel destabilizes alumina and MgO-alumina inclusions, which then dissolve into the melt. The liquid inclusions exhibited a weak but statistically significant tendency to agglomerate. Laboratory results were assessed in the light of different collision mechanisms. Agglomeration mainly occurs by Stokes and laminar fluid flow collision when no external stirring is imposed. Monte Carlo simulations of collisions agree reasonably well with experimental results. For industrial conditions, where the liquid steel is agitated by argon bubbling and/or electromagnetic stirring, turbulent collisions dominate.

Research on the variation of the inclusion and sulfur content in Pipeline steel

Pipeline steel is widely used in various industries, and the sulfur content and inclusions in steel have a significant impact on performance, which determines whether the steel quality is qualified. The experiments were carried out to explore the sulfur content and inclusion evolution of pipeline steel which was deoxidized by Si–Mn–Al with “EAF-LF-VD-T-CC”. The samples of molten steel and slag were taken during the process of LF-VD-Tundish after EAF tapping. The kinetics model was established to simulate the desulfuration process of molten steel in actual production, obtaining a result which the error is within 3 ppm. It can be summarized that proper calcium treatment can transform the inclusion into a liquid inclusion, the value of [Ca] ranges from 25 to 45 ppm. Too high and lower calcium treatment can cause the compositions of inclusions to deviate from the liquid phase area, while too low calcium treatment will increase the overall size and density of the inclusions. In addition, the evolution of inclusion in steel at refining temperature and during solidification process was comprehensively calculated, considering all types of inclusions such as calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium sulfide, spinel, calcium aluminate and liquid inclusion. The thermodynamic calculations are in good agreement with experimental results, which can predict the formation of the inclusions in Si–Mn–Al deoxidized pipeline steel.

Dependence of the Clogging Possibility of the Submerged Entry Nozzle during Steel Continuous Casting Process on the Liquid Fraction of Non-Metallic Inclusions in the Molten Al-Killed Ca-Treated Steel

In the current study, the nozzle clogging behavior and inclusion composition in Al-killed Ca-treated steels were observed to investigate the relationship between the liquid fraction of non-metallic inclusions and the clogging possibility of the submerged entry nozzle. Clogging materials were mainly MgO-Al2O3 with less than 20% liquid phases, while most of the inclusions were full liquid CaO-Al2O3-MgO in tundish at the casting temperature. Thus, it was proposed that the nozzle clogging can be effectively avoided by modification of solid inclusions to partial liquid ones rather than full liquid ones. There was a critical value of liquid fraction of inclusions causing the nozzle clogging. A critical condition of the inclusion attachment on the nozzle wall was a function of cosθN−S+cosθI−S<0. With the increase of T.Ca content in steel, the evolution route of inclusions was solid MgO-Al2O3→liquid CaO-Al2O3-MgO→solid CaS and CaO. To avoid the clogging of the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) under the current casting condition, the appropriate T.Ca concentration range in Al-killed Ca-treated steels can be enlarged from the 100% liquid inclusion zone of 10–14 ppm to the 20% liquid inclusion zone of 4–38 ppm.

Study of Calcium Treatment in Steel Ladles for the Modification of Alumina Inclusions to Avoid Nozzle Clogging during Casting

Presence of non-metallic inclusion deteriorates quality of steel and causes nozzle clogging during casting. Nozzle clogging eventually leads to a disruption of normal casting operations. This happens when solid alumina inclusions get accumulate in the nozzle of submerged entry nozzle (SEN). Therefore, it is required to understand the inclusion characteristics (shape, size and chemistry), which forms during the steelmaking process. Calcium is added in the steel ladle furnace (LF) in the form of CaSi wire to modify inclusions and to desulphurize steel. The range in which all the oxides become liquid and no solid sulphides begin to form is regarded as the "optimum window" or “liquid inclusion window” for calcium treatment. It is a target to obtain this calcium addition window, during calcium addition in the ladle furnace. This window mainly depends on the sulfur and total oxygen contents of the liquid steel bath. In the present study, inclusions characteristics such as volume fraction of inclusions, inclusion rating and EDS analysis of inclusions has been carried out using SEM-EDS. Thermodynamic study is carried out using thermodynamic software FACTSAGE and databases to find out formation of various calcium aluminates and the precipitation of CaS. Results show that liquid inclusion window mainly depends mainly on the sulphur level, total oxygen and aluminum content in the steel. These windows will help in calculation of calcium addition range for optimizing the addition of calcium in the ladle. These nomograms have been validated with actual plant condition to reduce the nozzle clogging during continuous casting.

Effect of crystal growth kinetics on the formation of liquid inclusions in tetramethylpyrazine crystals

Inclusion of mother liquids inside the pharmaceutical crystals poses a great challenge and threat to the product quality and purification efficiency. Herein we demonstrate how growth kinetics tune the formation of liquid inclusion and its occluded mechanism.

Investigation of thermal conductivity for liquid metal composites using the micromechanics-based mean-field homogenization theory

Micromechanics-based mean-field homogenization models estimate the thermal conductivity of liquid metal composites along the dependency on liquid inclusion concentrations and strains.