Preventing liquid aluminium adhesion to surface of copper crystallizer by creation protective oxide film

Abstract

In order to achieve prevention of molten aluminium adhesion to the surface of a copper crystallizer, an oxide film producing the needed thickness is suggested. Potassium permanganate KMnO4 in the form of an aqueous solution can be used as an oxidizing agent with the positive result of its usage being proved experimentally. The thickness of a KMnO4 layer estimated by a computational-experimental way is about (∼0.3 µm), inter-reaction with molten aluminium leads to oxide film formation, which is thick enough to prevent aluminium sticking to the copper surface. The needed solution Gsol consumption, fed for atomizing inside the crystallizer in order to achieve the layer of KMnO4 formation of the indicated thickness, is defined by the chosen solution concentration, perimeter P of a crystallizer groove and linear velocity V of surface moving during casting wheel rotation. For instance, the solution consumption might equal Gsol = 23 l/h with the concentration equal to 0.3% with the characteristic of the crystallizer of P = 0.5 m, V = 0.38 m/s.