Dissolution of alumina, copper oxide and nitrogen in molten slags: Thermodynamics and kinetics

Three studies have been conducted concerning thermodynamics and kinetics of dissolution of alumina, copper oxides and nitrogen in various molten slags.; In the first study, the dissolution rate of alumina particles in molten CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 slag was measured at 1500--1550°C by direct sampling method for the purpose of understanding the dissolution behavior of alumina inclusion in molten slags. It was found that the dissolution rate decreased with increasing SiO2 and Al2O3 contents in slag, but increased with increasing temperature. In the ladle type slags, alumina particles dissolved much faster than in the tundish type slags.; In the second study, solubility of solid CuO in molten Na2O-B 2O3 slag and liquid Cu2O in molten CaO-B 2O3-SiO2 slag was measured at 1000°C and 1250°C, with attempts to find suitable slags for the fluxing stage of the proposed oxidizing-fluxing process to remove copper from steel scrap. Experimental results showed that the minimum solubility occurred at neutral slag compositions, demonstrating amphoteric nature of CuO and Cu2O A regular solution model was employed to interpret the solubility data of CuO in Na2O-B 2O3 slag to obtain the interaction energies of CuO-NaO 0.5 and CuO-BO1.5, and then solubility curve, iso-activity curves and isothermal section of phase diagram of CuO-Na2O-B 2O3 system at 1000°C were drawn from the model calculation. Basic Na2O-B2O3 slag is expected to be a suitable slag for the fluxing process. The objective of the third study is to investigate the feasibility of removing nitrogen from molten steel by two newly proposed slag systems, TiO slag and Ti2O3 slag. Nitrogen distribution ratios between slag and steel were measured at 1600°C, for CaO-Al2O3-TiO, CaO-Al2O3-Ti 2O, CaO-Al2O3-TiO2 and CaO-Al 2O3 by two new slag-metal equilibration techniques, i.e., liquid sealing method and static atmosphere method. Activity coefficients of AIN and TiN, as useful indexes of measuring ability of slag to remove nitrogen, were evaluated from measured nitrogen distribution ratios. The order of slag's ability to remove nitrogen was found as TiO slag >> Ti2O3 slag > TiO2 slag > CaO-Al2O3 slag. TiO slag was found to be much more effective for removing nitrogen from steel than other slags including all slags investigated.