Kinetic Study of CO Reaction on Steel by Floating Zone Melting

Abstract

Kinetic study of CO reaction during floating zone melting of steel was carried out with rimmed steel samples and Fe-C-0 alloys. The reaction rate strongly depended on oxygen content but had no correlation to carbon concentration, and to oxygen-carbon concentration product. The reaction mechanism was discussed as a heterogeneous reaction at gas/liquid and at solid/liquid interfaces. Melting in an inert atmosphere such as in Ar promotes the reaction at liquid surface (gas/liquid interface), which plays an improtant role in decarburization of steel during floating zone melting. The influences of sample radius and zone traveling velocity are well explained with the oxygen diffusion control mechanism. The effective distribution coefficient of solute elements under the condition of “non-conservative freezing” was considered