INFLUENCE OF INJECTION METALLURGY ON MASS-TRANSFER IN STEELMAKING

Fundamental principles of gas and powder injection have been applied to study the kinetics of unit operations and unit processes occuring during steelmaking. It is shown that both techniques are very powerful to enhance the rates of mass transfer controlled reactions and are easily adaptable in the existing steel processing units. Slag refining of hot metal/molten steel in the ladle is taken as an example to illustrate the application of the techniques. It is found that the mode and intensity of bath stirring and the slag/metal interfacial area have great bearing on the time required for the removal of impurities from the molten bath. It is however, necessary to develop appropriate vacuum and heating techniques to realise the full potential of injection metallurgy in actual practice.