The Principle of Determining Oxygen Content in Steelmaking Ladle
As one of the most commonly used industrial production methods, steelmaking provides a wide range of convenience and advantages. The composition of steelmaking ladle needs careful and continual monitoring in order to reach the desired result. Analysis of oxygen content in the steelmaking ladle is particularly important as it can affect the quality of the steel obtained.
The principle of determining oxygen content in the steelmaking ladle is an empirical one, warranting a reliable and accurate test method to be used. The most popular method is to employ an optical emission spectrometer (OES). This technology harnesses the energy released from the burning of an electrode within the steelmaking ladle and then measures the intensity of emission from the burning of the metal sample in order to determine the oxygen content in the steelmaking ladle.
The burning of the sample takes place within the OES system and is facilitated by a carbon arc that is generated between the electrode and the steel material in the steelmaking ladle. This arc produces extreme temperatures to burn the sample metal, with oxygen being formed as a result of the burning. As the emission spectra of oxygen are measurable at the given temperatures, the OES system captures the emission intensity at several wavelengths within the result spectra and converts them into concentrations of oxygen.
OES analysis is widely used as an essential tool in steelmaking as it is capable of providing accurate measurements of oxygen content within the steelmaking ladle in a relatively short time. Moreover, OES analysis is also highly efficient, with only a few milligrams of sample material required to initiate the burning process.
While OES analysis is widely used in steelmaking, other analytical methods are also used to determine oxygen content in the steelmaking ladle such as direct titration and iodometric titration. These methods, however, are less accurate and do not provide the same level of accuracy as OES analysis.
In summary, the principle of determining oxygen content in the steelmaking ladle is to employ an optical emission spectrometer to measure the emission intensity of oxygen from the burning of the sample material. By providing accurate measurements within a short time, OES analysis is widely used in the steelmaking industry to produce quality steel. Other methods are used to determine oxygen content in the steelmaking ladle, but they do not offer the same level of accuracy and efficiency as OES analysis.
