MODELLING OF MASS TRANSFER IN A STEELMAKING LADLE

Abstract

Mass transfer between liquid steel and slag is an important point during secondary metallurgy for prediction of the chemical reaction rate and adjustment of liquid steel composition. We want to study this phenomenon in the case of an argon gas bottom blown ladle. To do so we use an experimental and numerical water model at ambient temperature. We measure experimentally the mass transfer of thymol between water and oil when the air flow rate injected is varied. The experimental results show that two mass transfer regimes can be observed. The mass transfer regime change could be correlated to the continuous formation of oil droplets in the water when the air flow rate is above a critical value. The numerical results represent qualitatively well the fluid flow of the water model. But the numerical results cannot reproduce different mass transfer regimes as observed experimentally and, have a tendency to overestimate the mass transfer.