Petri Sulasalmi

Effect of Interfacial Tension on the Emulsification of Slag - Considerations on the CFD Modelling of Dispersion

Top slag emulsification is a significant phenomenon in refining metallurgy. During bottom-or side-blowing, the flowing steel detaches small droplets from the top slag. The interfacial energy between liquid slag and steel is one of the most important factors affecting to emulsification. Surface energy, which can be described by interfacial tension, is the dominant property when determining slag emulsification. During chemical reactions, mass transfer between the phases decreases the interfacial tension at the slag-steel interface. The change in the interfacial tension affects the droplet formation.In this paper, the effect of interfacial tension on the emulsification was studied with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling. Three cases were simulated by considering a 3-phase system consisting of slag, steel and gas. A small area, where a 15 mm slag layer lies on top of the liquid steel, was simulated applying three different interfacial tensions, while keeping other properties unaltered. Gas was included to enable a free slag top-surface. The droplet diameter, size distribution and amount of droplets are in the scope of interest. It was found that the Sauter mean diameter of the slag droplets increased as the interfacial tension increased. The emulsification fraction varied between 1.621.95%.

A Mathematical Model for Reactions During Top-Blowing in the AOD Process: Derivation of the Model

In an earlier work, a fundamental mathematical model was proposed for side-blowing operation in the argon–oxygen decarburization (AOD) process. The purpose of this work is to present a new model, which focuses on the reactions during top-blowing in the AOD process. The model considers chemical reaction rate phenomena between the gas jet and the metal bath as well as between the gas jet and metal droplets. The rate expressions were formulated according to a law of mass action-based method, which accounts for the mass-transfer resistances in the liquid metal, gas, and slag phases. The generation rate of the metal droplets was related to the blowing number theory. This paper presents the description of the model, while validation and preliminary results are presented in the second part of this work.

A Mathematical Model for the Reduction Stage of the CAS-OB Process

This paper proposes a novel method for modeling the reduction stage of the CAS-OB process (composition adjustment by sealed argon bubbling–oxygen blowing). Our previous study proposed a model for the heating stage of the CAS-OB process; the purpose of the present study is to extend this work toward a more comprehensive model for the process in question. The CAS-OB process is designed for homogenization and control of the composition and temperature of steel. During the reduction stage, the steel phase is stirred intensely by employing the gas nozzles at the bottom of the ladle, which blow argon gas. It is assumed that the reduction rate of the top slag is dictated by the formation of slag droplets at the steel-slag interface. Slag droplets, which are generated due to turning of the steel flow in the spout, contribute mainly by increasing the interfacial area between the steel and slag phases. This phenomenon has been taken into account based on our previous study, in which the droplet size distribution and generation rate at different steel flow velocities. The reactions considered between the slag and steel phases are assumed to be mass transfer controlled and reversible. We validated the results from the model against the measurements from the real CAS-OB process. The results indicate that the model accurately predicts the end compositions of slag and steel. Moreover, it was discovered that the cooling rate of steel during the gas stirring given by the model is consistent with the results reported in the literature.

Advanced Methods in Modelling of Metallurgical Unit Operations

This paper summarizes and discusses our recent work on modelling of several steelmaking processes. The work started by developing a detailed sub-model for a single gas bubble reacting in liquid steel. The key feature in this model was an approach based on LOMA, Law of Mass Action, which was employed for defining the chemical rate of a reaction in a robust way. The bubble reaction model was then coupled with a new simulator concept for the AOD process, Argon-Oxygen Decarburization. After a successful validation, the same approach was used to model chemical reactions and chemical heating of liquid steel in the CAS-OB process, Composition Adjustment by Sealed Argon Bubbling Oxygen Blowing, using a supersonic lance. Finally, a new model was developed and implemented into the existing AOD process model for slag reduction with slag droplets. The purpose of this paper is to present a generalised framework for applying and validating the LOMA approach into modelling of metallurgical unit operations. In addition, the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in the validation and verification work is discussed.

A Mathematical Model for Reactions During Top-Blowing in the AOD Process: Validation and Results

In earlier work, a fundamental mathematical model was proposed for side-blowing operation in the argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) process. In the preceding part “Derivation of the Model,” a new mathematical model was proposed for reactions during top-blowing in the AOD process. In this model it was assumed that reactions occur simultaneously at the surface of the cavity caused by the gas jet and at the surface of the metal droplets ejected from the metal bath. This paper presents validation and preliminary results with twelve industrial heats. In the studied heats, the last combined-blowing stage was altered so that oxygen was introduced from the top lance only. Four heats were conducted using an oxygen–nitrogen mixture (1:1), while eight heats were conducted with pure oxygen. Simultaneously, nitrogen or argon gas was blown via tuyères in order to provide mixing that is comparable to regular practice. The measured carbon content varied from 0.4 to 0.5 wt pct before the studied stage to 0.1 to 0.2 wt pct after the studied stage. The results suggest that the model is capable of predicting changes in metal bath composition and temperature with a reasonably high degree of accuracy. The calculations indicate that the top slag may supply oxygen for decarburization during top-blowing. Furthermore, it is postulated that the metal droplets generated by the shear stress of top-blowing create a large mass exchange area, which plays an important role in enabling the high decarburization rates observed during top-blowing in the AOD process. The overall rate of decarburization attributable to top-blowing in the last combined-blowing stage was found to be limited by the mass transfer of dissolved carbon.

Physical Modelling of the Effect of Slag and Top-Blowing on Mixing in the AOD Process

The argon-oxygen decarburization (AOD) process is the most common process for refining stainless steel. High blowing rates and the resulting efficient mixing of the steel bath are characteristic of the AOD process. In this work, a 1:9-scale physical model was used to study mixing in a 150 t AOD vessel. Water, air and rapeseed oil were used to represent steel, argon and slag, respectively, while the dynamic similarity with the actual converter was maintained using the modified Froude number and the momentum number. Employing sulfuric acid as a tracer, the mixing times were determined on the basis of pH measurements according to the 97.5% criterion. The gas blowing rate and slag-steel volume ratio were varied in order to study their effect on the mixing time. The effect of top-blowing was also investigated. The results suggest that mixing time decreases as the modified Froude number of the tuyeres increases and that the presence of a slag layer increases the mixing time. Furthermore, top-blowing was found to increase the mixing time both with and without the slag layer.