Effect of mechanical stirring on electromagnetic separation of inclusion particles from liquid metal

Electromagnetic casting of steel is under development in Japanese steelmaking companies. In this new process, a high frequency magnetic field is applied to the solidified shell in a continuous casting mold to realize the soft contact of the shell with mold, and thus the quality of the slab surface is improved. However, there will be a fear of the engulfment of inclusion particles in the solidified shell due to the electromagnetic force. The agitation of liquid steel is considered to be effective to avoid this problem. In this study, the electromagnetic separation of SiC particles from liquid aluminum is performed under mechanical stirring. Although a major part of particles is separated on the crucible wall in a short period in the case without agitation, the separation is prevented in the case with a strong agitation. The characteristic of the electromagnetic separation is investigated theoretically.