The effect of in-situ dynamic mold flux melting and crystallization on heat transfer in continuous casting

A mold flux is widely used to modify heat transfer rates in continuous casting,and crystallization of the mold flux has been identified as a primary factor that influences heat flux from the strand to the mold.As the harsh environment and the very high transient nature of the mold caster,the study of dynamic mold flux melting and crystallization as well as their effects on heat transfer has not been conducted widely.By using an infrared radiation emitter,a high level heat flux was applied to a copper mold covered with solid mold flux disk to simulate the heat transfer phenomena in continuous casting.By this technique it is possible to have a liquid layer,a crystalline layer and a glassy layer in contact with one another and,by varying the energy input,it is possible to study the dynamic nature of the film and its effect on the heat transfer rate.A general heat transfer model was also developed to allow the prediction of the effect of varying the thickness of the three potential layers in the flux film.