Water Model Study on the Flotation Behaviors of Inclusion Clusters in Molten Steel

Abstract

To improve the performance of steel and produce clean steel with higher quality, the inclusions in the molten steel should be removed and controlled strictly. The removal behaviors of the inclusions, such as flotation, are largely dependent on their size and morphology, which determines the cleanliness of molten steel. It is thus of great importance to clarify the floating behaviors of inclusion clusters with different morphologies. However, the previous work on the floating behaviors of the inclusions is mostly on basis of the spherical inclusions and the influence of the morphology of the inclusions has not been clarified systematically. In this study, the 3D structure of inclusion clusters was established by 3D modeling and fabricated by 3D Printing Technology. A series of water model experiments were performed to investigate the influence of diameter and fractal dimension of inclusion clusters on the terminal floating velocity. In this study, the formula of the terminal floating velocity of the inclusion clusters is derived from the experimental results based on the previous work, which considers the influence of the fractal dimension of the inclusion clusters. It would provide fundamental supports for the research on the removal behaviors of inclusion clusters in molten steel.