Model study of the rupture phenomena of a metal droplet growing on a slag-metal interface

Cold model experiments were carried out to understand the behavior of a molten steel droplet growing on a slag and molten steel interface due to coalescence with other molten steel droplets. Water, silicone oil, and n-pentane were used as the working fluids. A water droplet was generated from a single-hole nozzle placed just above a silicone oil and water interface or an n-pentane and water interface. The droplet grew in contact with the interface and then ruptured. An empirical equation was proposed for the volume of the droplet. The flow fields in and around the droplet were visualized with a CCD camera and the velocity vectors were determined with particle image velocimetry (PIV). The flow pattern near the interface was correlated in terms of the Weber number similitude.