Laboratory Study on Oxide Inclusions in High-Strength Low-Alloyed Steel Refined by Slag with Basicity 2–5

Abstract

Abstract Non-metallic inclusions in high-strength low-alloyed steel refined by slag with basicity (B) 2–5 and Al2O3 content 20%–30% (in mass percent) were investigated by slag–metal equilibrium experiments in laboratory and thermodynamic calculations. Most inclusions in equilibrium were quasi-spherical CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 system and the sizes were less than 5 µm. The average content ratio, CaO/Al2O3 and CaO/SiO2 of the inclusions, increased with slag basicity increasing when Al2O3 content in slag was around 25%, MgO/Al2O3 and CaO/Al2O3 increased with Al2O3 content in slag decreasing when slag basicity was around 3.3. The MgO/Al2O3 of the inclusions was influenced mainly by Al2O3 content in slag and CaO/Al2O3 was influenced mainly by slag basicity. To make the inclusions out of relative lower melting region (<1,773 K), the values of CaO/Al2O3, MgO/Al2O3 and (CaO+MgO)/Al2O3 of the inclusions should be enhanced by increasing basicity and decreasing Al2O3 content in slag properly.