Petrographic and thermodynamic study of slags in EAF stainless steelmaking

Abstract

A study of the typical characteristics of electrical arc furnace (EAF) slags in the production of the stainless steel (AISI 304L) was carried out. Twenty-eight slag samples were taken from 14 heats. Simultaneously with each slag sampling, the temperature of the steel was measured, and one steel sample was taken. The selected slag samples were studied both using SEM–EDS and light optical microscopy. Computational thermodynamics was used as a tool to predict the equilibrium phases in the top slag as well as the amount of these phases at the process temperatures. It was observed that, at process temperature, the stainless EAF slag generally consists of liquid oxides, spinel particles and metallic droplets. Under normal operation, the amount of spinel particles is 2–6 wt-%. In addition, the influence of the slag temperature, basicity, MgO content and Cr₂O₃ content on the amount of spinel precipitates and thereby on the foaming index of the top slag is also illustrated and discussed. More specifically, it was found that, within the compositional range of the slag samples, the critical parameter affecting the amount of solid spinel particles in the slag is the chromium oxide content.

Keywords:

• STAINLESS STEEL
• EAF
• SLAG
• MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERISATION
• COMPUTATIONAL THERMODYNAMICS
• SLAG FOAMING
• METALLIC DROPLETS
• SPINEL PARTICLES