Validation of a Freeze-Lining Solidification Model Using Laboratory Experiments Under Static and Dynamic Flow Conditions

This study attempts to simulate the solidification of slag (non-metallic compounds) in a forced flow condition. The formation of the freeze-lining (FL), i.e. a solidified layer of slag on industry furnace wall, is an important phenomenon in many metallurgical processes. To validate the numerical model, laboratory experiments, involving the immersion of a gas-cooled probe into a molten slag bath, were conducted under controlled conditions for both static and rotating crucibles. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, that coupled a single-phase flow model with a mixture continuum solidification model, was used to simulate these experiments. While the model had been successfully applied to different cases of metal solidification, it was modified for slag solidification. The effect of Euler, centrifugal, and Coriolis forces on the flow was incorporated with the Boussinesq approximation. Data from experiments were used to determine critical material properties and boundary conditions, as well as to validate the model’s predictions. The strong agreement between simulations and experiments confirmed the predictive capabilities of the model.