Relation between foaming behaviour and electrical conductivity of slags via conductivity and viscosity experiments
Context
To meet the European Green Deal targets, the steel industry must substantially reduce its CO₂ emissions, driving a transition from conventional blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace steelmaking towards lower-emission electric arc furnace (EAF) production. As the share of EAF steelmaking increases, efficient control of the slag becomes increasingly important for optimizing the process and reducing energy losses. In particular, slag foaming plays a crucial role by shielding the electric arcs, limiting radiative heat losses, and improving the overall energy efficiency of the EAF process. However, assessing and controlling the foam height during operation is very challenging and predictive models are limited in their use.
Research objectives
The aim of this research is to describe a link between electrical conductivity, viscosity, and slag foaming in iron bearing slags. This will be accomplished by:
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Performing electrical conductivity and viscosity tests at high temperature
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Developing a predictive model that links electrical conductivity and viscosity
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Carrying out foaming experiments of water-glycol mixtures at a low temperature foaming set-up for mimicking foaming behavior of slags at room temperature
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Establishing a model that uses electrical conductivity to predict viscosity and foam heigh for high-temperature slags
Project logo and funding logo
This project is supported by a Baekeland mandate from VLAIO (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Agency) and ArcelorMittal Belgium.
Researchers