Abstract
The mineralogical constitution and the melting-solidification behavior of two commercial fluxes for thin slab casting of steel were determined. The characterization of the commercial fluxes as received show the presence of wollastonite (CaO. SiO2), a sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), calcite (CaCO3), fluorite (CaF2) and carbon as the main components by X ray powder diffraction (XRD) and microscopic techniques. When fluxes were heated to 1573 K and further solidification, there was almost a whole transformation from the original compounds to cuspidine (3CaO - 2SiO2 - CaF2) and nepheline (Na2O - Al2O3 - 2SiO2) phases. The thermal gravimetrical analysis showed an important weight reduction in both fluxes due to the thermal decompositions of calcite and sodium carbonate. The characterization reveals that fluxes are produced by an agglomeration process.
Highlights
Mold powders or mold fluxes are synthetic slags used to cover the liquid pool surface during the continuous casting of steel slabs[1]
High speed continuous casting was developed in order to improve productivity and conserve energy in the continuous casting of steel slabs[4 and 5]
Improvement in mold lubrication is crucial for efficient high-speed casting, and mold powder has been developed for this purpose
Summary
Mold powders or mold fluxes are synthetic slags used to cover the liquid pool surface during the continuous casting of steel slabs[1]. Mold powders must fulfill several functions during the continuous casting of steel, like the protection of the metallic surface from oxidation, the thermal isolation of the surface, the absorption of non-metallic inclusions, the lubrication of the mold/metal contact area and the control of the heat transfer to the mold. The mineralogical constitution of the powder is of particular importance since it affects the melting rate of the powder, the lubrication characteristics and the heat transfer between the strand and the mold, impacting decisively the casting performance[8 and 9]. Cuspidine (3CaO.2SiO .CaF ) is one of the most important crystallized compounds in mold flux film during thin slab casting process. A study of the mineralogical and thermal behavior of two commercial fluxes for thin slab casting of steel was developed by microscopic techniques, X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetrical analysis
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