This article describes a theoretical investigation on the arc parameters and metal transfer in gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of mild steel using argon and helium shielding gases. Major differences in the predicted arc parameters were determined to be due to large differences in thermophysical properties. Various findings from the study include that an arc cannot be struck in a pure helium atmosphere without the assistance of metal vapor, that a strong electromagnetic cathode force affects the fluid flow and heat transfer in the helium arc, providing a possible explanation for the experimentally observed globular transfer mode and that the tapering of the electrode in an argon arc is caused by electron condensation on the side of the electrode. © 1995 The Minerals, Metals & Material Society.

The solubility of vanadium oxide in the Al2O3-CaO(30 mass pct)-SiO2 system and Al2O3-CaO(35 mass pct)-SiO2 system was determined experimentally at 1873 K (1600 °C) and at a fixed oxygen potential of 9.37 × 10−11 bar. EPMA microanalyses were employed to identify the phases and their compositions in the quenched samples. The solubility of vanadium oxide in the liquid phase was found to decrease with increasing CaO content in the liquid. The vanadium oxide solubility was especially low when both CaO and Al2O3 contents were high in the liquid phase. The maximum solubility of vanadium oxide was up to 7 mass pct (as V). Two solid phases were found, a solid solution of Al2O3 and vanadium oxide and an Al2O3-rich solid phase with 16.7 mass pct V2O3. The Al2O3 solubility in the solid solution was found to increase with increasing Al2O3 content in the liquid, the impact of the CaO content in the liquid on the solubility of Al2O3 in V2O3 was found to be small. The Al2O3-rich solid phase was identified as the mineral hibonite with fractionation of V into the crystal structure.

Investigations were carried out on cokes heat treated in the laboratory and on cokes extracted from the experimental blast furnace (EBF) raceway and hearth. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed to investigate changes in structural order (Lc), chemical transformations in coke ash along with comparative thermodynamic equilibrium studies and the influence of melt. Three data processing approaches were used to compute Lc values as a function of temperature and time and linear correlations were established between Lc and heat treatment temperatures during laboratory investigations. These were used to estimate temperatures experienced by coke in various regions of EBF and estimated raceway temperatures were seen to follow the profile of combustion peak. The MgAl2O4 spinel was observed in coke submerged in slag during laboratory studies and in cokes found further into the raceway. Coke in contact with hot metal showed XRD peaks corresponding to presence of Fe3Si. The intensity of SiO 2 peak in coke ash was seen to decrease with increasing temperature and disappeared at around 1770 K (1500 °C) due to the formation of SiC. This study has shown that the evolution of structural order and chemical transformations in coke could be used to estimate its thermal history in blast furnaces. 

Oscillation marks (OMs) are regular, transverse indentations formed on the surface of continuously cast (CC) steel products. OMs are widely considered defects because these are associated with segregation and transverse cracking. A variety of mechanisms for their formation has been proposed (e.g., overflow, folding, and meniscus freezing), whereas different mark types have also been described (e.g., folded, hooks, and depressions). The current work uses numerical modeling to formulate a unified theory for the onset of OMs. The initial formation mechanism is demonstrated to be caused by fluctuations in the metal and slag flow near the meniscus, which in turn causes thermal fluctuations and successive thickening and thinning of the shell, matching the thermal fluctuations observed experimentally in a mold simulator. This multiphysics modeling of the transient shell growth and explicit prediction of OMs morphology was possible for the first time through a model for heat transfer, fluid flow, and solidification coupled with mold oscillation, including the slag phase. Strategies for reducing OMs in the industrial practice fit with the proposed mechanism. Furthermore, the model provides quantitative results regarding the influence of slag infiltration on shell solidification and OM morphology. Control of the precise moment when infiltration occurs during the cycle could lead to enhanced mold powder consumption and decreased OM depth, thereby reducing the probability for transverse cracking and related casting problems. © The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2011.

A transient two-fluid model is applied to simulate fluid flow and heat transfer in a nonisothermal water model of continuous casting (CC) tundish. The original liquid in the bath is defined as the first fluid, and the inlet stream, with the temperature variation, is defined as the second fluid. The flow patterns and heat transfer are predicted by solving the three-dimensional (3-D) transient transport equations for each fluid. The results predicted by the two-fluid model make the effect of natural convection more clear compared with the generally used single fluid model k-ε turbulence model.

The tundish process is complicated due to the periodic nature of its operation during the changing of ladles, which makes it both a transient and nonisothermal process. A nonisothermal water model, with temperature variations in the inlet stream, is described in this article. A three-dimensional (3-D) transient mathematical model to simulate the fluid flow and heat transfer in this water model is also introduced. From the experimental and numerical results, it is shown that there is a significant thermal buoyancy force contributing to the flow in this nonisothermal water model.

A model of a tundish has been developed that takes into account the steel, slag, and refractory phases. Predicted temperatures and velocities in the steel and refractory from the model were earlier found to agree well with measured velocities and temperatures. The model was also used to determine the optimal location of flow devices, making the temperature distribution in the steel more even and enhancing the removal of inclusions to the slag. In this study, the focus was on using the model to study the slag/steel interface in the tundish. Predictions showed that slag is dispersed into the steel close to the interface as well as close to the ladle shroud. In order to confirm these predictions, the momentary interfacial solidification sampling (MISS) method was developed. Using this method, a sample of the steel/slag interface could be taken that represented almost an instantaneous picture of the interface. The MISS sampler was used for sampling low-carbon steel in the tundish. Samples were analyzed using ultrasonic testing, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Analysis results confirmed the presence of nonmetallic particles close to the slag/steel interface and close to the ladle shroud, as suggested by the modeling results. The analyses also showed that the slag/steel interface is very irregular, despite the low velocities.