The effect of slag basicity on spinal inclusion wettability

Steel cleanness is an important and growing research area driven by the demands to produce high quality steel. Inclusion content in steel is an important criterion to assess clean steel. MgO.Ah03 spinel inclusions cause problems in steel processing and are generally deleterious to steel products due to their high melting point and high hardness. Jnclusions are generally r· moved by rea ting with slag. This is primarily achieved by optimizing lhe PI' 'ess omliLions to promote contact and reaction between the inclusion and S,l,lg '. or efticient rem val from the steel the inclusions must attach to and dissolve in the slag pba~e. If this atta hment is weak, then local fluid conditions are likely to result in the shearing of this attachment and the inclusions re-cntrapment in the . tee!. The strength of attachment (reactivity) between the inclusion and tJle slag phase can be characteri zed by the wettability of the slag on inclusions 2-3. Research on inclusion removal in steel refining is principally divided into categories of flotation of juclusion Lo the steel/slag interi'ace 4-5 modification to improve reactivity/separation wilh the sJag phase (j and dissoluti n in lhe s lag phase.