Mass Transfer in Electroslag Processes with Consumable Electrode and Liquid Metal

Abstract

Experimental and numerical comparisons of mass transfer processes during the electroslag remelting with consumable electrode (ESR) and electroslag refining with liquid metal (ESR LM) showed their identical refining capacity, despite the smaller both the slag–metal contact surface (twice) and metal overheat (by 70–95 K) in the latter case. As revealed, due to effect of metal movement inside the liquid metal drop, it moves in liquid slag faster than a solid particle of the same diameter. Under comparable conditions, it is experimentally confirmed that desulphurization at the ESR takes place mainly on the contact surface between the slag and metal baths, but not in the liquid metal film at the tip of a consumable electrode.

Keywords

• electroslag remelting with consumable electrode
• similarity criteria
• turbulence
• stream
• desulphurization