Deoxidation of ESR and Its Correlation with Oxide Inclusions

Abstract

This chapter presents the deoxidation of ESR and related affecting factors, which have been accomplished by the research groups around the world over the past decades. The oxygen transfer behavior during ESR process is described first. The thermodynamic and kinetics considerations on the deoxidation of ESR are described and the underlying mechanisms are discussed. Deoxidation during the ESR is therefore affected by multiple factors, such as initial oxygen content of steel electrode, metal compositions, deoxidizing agents, absorption ability of slag to oxide inclusions, remelting atmosphere, slag compositions, and oxide inclusion evolution. Next, the dependence of the oxygen on the processing parameters of ESR is reviewed and discussed. In view of the indivisible correlation of the deoxidation with oxide inclusions, the role of deoxidation operations of ESR on the oxide inclusions is also evaluated. Finally, a general concluding remark and perspective for future work are present.