Hot model experiments of the metal bath spraying effect during the decarburization of Fe‐C melts through oxygen top blowing

During recent years decarburization has been steadily gaining importance in converter steel metallurgy at the expense of refining reactions for other slag‐forming companion elements. Because decarburization is currently a low‐slag operation, the phase contact between gas and metal is critical. With the decrease in the amount of slag foam, more attention must be paid to the spraying of iron droplets during oxygen blowing. The experiments were carried out in a hot model reactor with a 50 kg capacity by oxygen top blowing upon Fe‐C melts. The resulting spray of iron droplets was collected with the help of a special droplet sampler in the blowing converter. In the metal droplets a pronounced enhanced decarburization was found in comparison to the metal bath. The amount of metal spray was determined with respect to the oxygen blowing pressure, nozzle diameter, and distance between the lance and bath. Depending on the reactor contents, a high circulation rate of the droplets could be observed. At low blowing rates, FeO‐slag is formed and sprayed along with the metal.