Influence of copper on decarburization kinetics of stainless steel melt at high temperatures

A kinetic study on the decarburization reaction of the Fe-Cr-Cu-C melts has been carried out at 1873 K focusing on the effect of copper on the reaction rates. The decarburization rate of the Fe-C melt was preliminarily measured at 1873 K. The result of the present work exhibits a good agreement with other studies. The addition of chromium to the Fe-C melt decreases the interfacial reaction rate. It is considered that the effect of chromium on a retard of the interfacial reaction would have a relationship to the surface adsorption of chromium. The addition of copper to the Fe-Cr-C melt decreases the decarburization reaction rate. The delay of the interfacial reaction by copper at high concentrations of carbon could be responsible for the decrease in the overall reaction rate. The effect of copper on the reaction rate could be quantified by the following equation: kFe-Cr-Cu = kFeCr/1+0.09[wt%Cr] From the results of the dependence of the interfacial rates on temperature for each alloy, it could be proposed that the presence of chromium on the reaction surface in the Fe-Cr-C melt would delay the reaction rate, which was originated from the additional reaction steps. However, it is suggested that copper would delay the decarburization rate by blocking a part of the reaction sites in the Fe-Cr-Cu-C melt.