A MODEL OF FERROUS OXIDE REDUCTION IN STEELMAKING SLAG VOLUME

Ferrous oxide reduction in steelmaking slag is related to the formation of carbon oxide gas bubbles resulting from the reaction of a carbon reducer upon the ferrous oxides contained in slag. The formation and surfacing of carbon oxide bubbles from liquid-slag volume causes slag foaming. Changes in the FeO content in slag are described on the basis of Fick's first law. No models describing the mathematical dependence between the slag chemical constitution, process temperature and the size of injected reducer particles versus the volume of carbon oxide gas bubbles formed in the slag are presented in previous studies. The above-mentioned dependencies can be partially described by the model presented in the paper [1], which allows the variability of the foregoing parameters to be examined, assuming the equilibrium FeO content in the reduced phase is 0. As it is assumed that a non-metallic phase of the FeO content higher than 0 is obtained in the industrial conditions, it has been decided to develop the solution of Fick's equation in a broader scope than in the paper [1].