Surface Tension Measurements of Calcia-Alumina Slags: A Comparison of Dynamic Methods

Abstract

The surface tension of oxide melts is difficult to measure. Even for binary slags with a low degree of polymerisation such as calcia-alumina, there seems no benchmark value for the surface tension available. Published data exhibit considerable scatter even for similar compositions which prevents to build a reliable and consistent database of frequently used physical properties. This study presents an attempt to use three different measurement techniques in the same high-temperature furnace to obtain the surface tension of a binary calcia-alumina slag close to eutectic composition, namely the drop weight method, the pendant drop method, and, for the first time, the oscillating jet method (for circular and elliptic jets) as a function of temperature. The methods used in the present context are explained, and the experimental results evaluated with respect to previously published data. A consistent and coherent trend is observed when the drop weight and the oscillating jet methods are compared.