A better understanding of droplet formation and dripping behavior would be useful in the efficient removal of impurity elements and nonmetallic inclusions from liquid metals. In the present work, we developed a transparent experimental apparatus to study the mechanisms of droplet formation and the effects of filling ratio on droplet behavior during the electroslag remelting（ESR） process. A high-speed camera was used to clearly observe, at small time scales, the droplet formation and dripping phenomenon at the slag/metal interface during a stable ESR process. The results illustrate that a two-stage process for droplet formation and dripping occurs during the ESR process and that the droplet diameter exhibits a parabolic distribution with increasing filling ratio because of the different shape and thermal state of the electrode tip. This work also confirms that a relatively large filling ratio reduces electricity consumption and improves ingot quality.
Surface tensions of slag addition Mg O and Si O2 based on conventional 70%CaF 2-30%Al2O3 and 60%Ca F2-20%Ca O-20%Al2O3(mass fraction) at 1300 °C, 1400 °C and 1500 °C were investigated. Influence mechanism of Mg O and Si O2 on slag surface tension was also analyzed. Results indicate that surface tension decreases with the increase of Mg O content in the case of the Mg O content(mass fraction) less than 8%, however, when Mg O content(mass fraction) is from 8% to 30%, surface tension increases with the increase of Mg O content. When Si O2 content(mass fraction) is from 2% to 8%, surface tension decreases with the increase of Si O2 content. Additionally, the relationship between surface tension and optical basicity is a monotonically increasing linear function. Research findings can provide important reference for slag design and the study of slag-metal interfacial tension.
