A kinetic model on oxygen transfer at a steel/slag interface under effect of interfacial tension

Abstract

A kinetic model was developed to predict the dynamic change of the oxygen content in the sub-interface region as well as the dynamic change of the interfacial tension between molten steel and slag. The dynamic steel/slag interfacial phenomena are very complex, where the combined effect of thermodynamics and kinetics on the interfacial tension needs to be accounted for. As a first step, the current model only considers the SiO2 decomposition, oxygen adsorption and desorption at the steel/slag interface to realize the modeling of the dynamic change of the steel/slag interface phenomena. The oxygen desorption rate was derived based on the slope of the interfacial tension change over oxygen content. Specifically, the oxygen change with time in a sub-interface was predicted by the current model. The oxygen desorption rate was found to have an important influence on the dynamic change of the oxygen content in the sub-interface region. Furthermore, a low slag viscosity was found to increase the oxygen content at the interface due to the fast supply of SiO2 from the slag bulk to the interface. In addition, the equilibrium constant for the oxygen adsorption at an interface due to the interfacial tension effect increases the oxygen content in the sub-interface region.