Controllability of Radiative Heat Flux across Mould Flux Films by Cuspidine Grain Size

Abstract

Apparent reflectivities and transmissivities have been measured as functions of cuspidine grain diameter for mould fluxes having constant degrees of crystallinity. Samples used were two types of synthesised mould flux with the basicity of 1, one of which samples contained 1 mass% of Fe2O3, and the grain diameter was varied in the range 1–3.5 μm. The optical measurements were carried out in the wavelength range 300–2600 nm at room temperature using a spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere. With increasing grain diameter, the apparent reflectivity tended to increase and the apparent transmissivity tended to decrease at higher wavelengths for iron oxide free mould fluxes: it seemed that the apparent reflectivity showed a maximum value and the apparent transmissivity showed a minimum value in the grain diameter range 2–3 μm. In contrast, there was less significant dependence on grain size for mould fluxes containing iron oxides. The total radiative heat flux which may reach the mould from the steel shell has been evaluated using apparent reflectivity and transmissivity data on the basis of an optical process model. It has been found that the total radiative heat flux would be smallest in iron oxide free mould fluxes having the highest apparent reflectivity and the lowest apparent transmissivity at higher wavelengths. Effects of grain size on the radiative heat flux are smaller for mould flux containing iron oxides. Comparison of the total radiative heat flux with the total heat flux including conductive contribution suggests that control of cuspidine grain diameter would lead to reduction of the total heat flux by 7–8% for iron oxide free mould fluxes. In addition, the air gap layer would affect the total heat flux more efficiently where the volume fraction of air in the layer exceeds 85%.