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Homogeneous nucleation of CO bubbles in Fe-C-O melts

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Abstract

The formation of CO(g) bubbles in Fe-C alloy droplets during spray-decarburization operations is described in terms of a homogeneous nucleation process enabled by the surface active properties of oxygen. An expression is obtained for the reversible work to form a vapor nucleus that includes electrostatic terms involved in forming a layer of chemisorbed oxygen ions. These additional terms make the critical nucleation conditions a sensitive function mainly of the oxygen content of the melt. The critical oxygen activity is found to be in the 0.001 to 0.003 wt pct range at 1823 K.

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Abbreviations

A:

surface area

ao :

oxγgen activitγ in melt (weight percent)

e:

electronic charge

ΔF:

Helmholtz free energγ change

J:

nucleation frequencγ per unit volume

k:

Boltzmann constant

I:

dipole length

N:

atom inventorγ

n:

number of atoms

n2 :

number of CO(g) molecules

n3 :

number of chemisorbed oxγgen ions

p:

pressure

R:

radial position in droplet

R(ao*):

radial position in droplet at which ao = ao*

r:

radius of embrγo

T:

absolute temperature

V:

volume

Z:

nonequilibrium factor

z:

number of charges

β:

desorption frequencγ per unit area

γ:

net surface energγ densitγ σ—ΣO)

Γo :

asγmptotic adsorption limit of oxγgen

Γ3 :

n3/A

θ:

sfraction of a monolaγer coverage (Γ3/Γo)

μ:

electrochemical potential

β:

chemical potential

σ:

surface tension

σo :

electrostatic energγ densitγ

X:

contact or surface potential

*:

surface tension function

*:

critical conditions

O:

oxγgen

C:

carbon

Fe:

iron

1:

melt

2:

embryo

10:

carbon component of melt

11:

oxygen component of melt

12:

iron component of melt

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sandia Laboratories, High Temperatures Sciences Division, 87115, Albuquerque, N. M.

    Herman S. Levine (Member of the Technical Staff)

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  1. Herman S. Levine
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Levine, H.S. Homogeneous nucleation of CO bubbles in Fe-C-O melts. Metall Trans 4, 777–782 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02643087

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02643087

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