Oxygen solubility in silicon-containing Fe-Co melts

Abstract

Thermodynamic analysis of the oxygen solutions in silicon-containing Fe-Co melts is performed. The equilibrium constant of silicon deoxidation of iron-cobalt melts, the activity coefficients for infinite dilution, and the interaction parameters for melts differing in composition are determined. The dependences of the oxygen solubility in the melts under study are calculated for different cobalt and silicon contents. The deoxidizing capacity of silicon increases substantially as the cobalt content in a melt increases. The curves of oxygen solubility in Fe-Co melts have a minimum; the minimum oxygen solubility shifts to a low silicon content as the cobalt content in the melts increases. The silicon contents for the minima in the curves of oxygen solubility and the minimum oxygen concentrations corresponding to the silicon contents are determined.