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In situ observation of the dissolution kinetics of Al2O3 particles in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 slags using laser confocal scanning microscopy

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Abstract

The dissolution kinetics of Al2O3 in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 slags was studied using a high-temperature confocal scanning laser microscope at 1773 to 1873 K. The results show that the controlling step during the Al2O3 dissolution was the diffusion in molten slag. It was found that the dissolution curves of Al2O3 particles were hardly agreed with the traditional boundary layer diffusion model with the increase of the CaO/Al2O3 ratio of slag. A modified diffusion equation considering slag viscosity was developed to study the dissolution mechanism of Al2O3 in slag. Diffusion coefficients of Al2O3 in slag were calculated as 2.8 × 10−10 to 4.1 × 10−10 m2/s at the temperature of 1773–1873 K. The dissolution rate of Al2O3 increased with higher temperature, CaO/Al2O3, and particle size. A new model was shown to be \({v_{{\rm{A}}{{\rm{l}}_2}{{\rm{O}}_3}}} = 0.16 \times r_0^{1.58} \times {x^{3.52}} \times {\left( {T - {T_{{\rm{mp}}}}} \right)^{1.11}}\) to predict the dissolution rate and the total dissolution time of Al2O3 inclusions with various sizes, where \({v_{{\rm{A}}{{\rm{l}}_2}{{\rm{O}}_3}}}\) is the dissolution rate of Al2O3 in volume, µm3/s; x is the value of CaO/Al2O3 mass ratio; R0 is the initial radius of Al2O3, µm; T is the temperature, K; Tmp is the melting point of slag, K.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Nos. U1860206 and 51725402), the Science and Technology Program of Hebei, China (Nos. 20311006D and 20591001D). The authors are also grateful for support from the High Steel Center (HSC) at North China University of Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), and Yanshan University, and the Beijing International Center of Advanced and Intelligent Manufacturing of High Quality Steel Materials (ICSM), USTB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Changyu Ren & Ying Ren

  2. School of Mechanical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China

    Caide Huang

  3. Shougang Jingtang United Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., Tangshan, 063200, China

    Caide Huang

  4. School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, 100144, China

    Lifeng Zhang

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  1. Changyu Ren
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Ren, C., Huang, C., Zhang, L. et al. In situ observation of the dissolution kinetics of Al2O3 particles in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 slags using laser confocal scanning microscopy. Int J Miner Metall Mater 30, 345–353 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-021-2347-6

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