Requirement of Slag Protection Technologies on the Final Slag in Steel Making
Slag protection refers to a technology applied in steel making to improve the quality of the final slag. With the development of the steel industry and the improvement of environmental protection requirements, the demands of the technology are becoming more and more strict. Steel making requires a large amount of energy input, includes a number of processes, and generates a considerable amount of waste. Slag is the waste generated from the steel making process, which has a significant influence on the quality of the final steel. Slag protection technology is used to improve the performance of the final slag, which can reduce the total energy input, improve energy efficiency, and improve the overall quality of the steel making process.
The most common type of slag protection technology is slag foaming. In this process, foaming reagents such as oils and surfactants are added to the steel liquid slag to reduce its surface tension, allowing air to enter and form bubbles. The bubbles reduce the viscosity and weight of the slag, and thus improves the slag releasing rate. This reduces the molten steel’s heat loss and decrease the heat conduction time. Moreover, the bubbles can also act as a thermal insulating layer, preventing the molten steel from contacting the surrounding high-temperature slag, thus reduces the heat exchange rate.
Slag foaming technology also plays an important role in reducing energy loss. The energy loss mainly comes from the heat radiation of the steel liquid to the atmosphere. Slag foaming can reduce the surface tension of the slag, thus reducing the heat radiation from the steel liquid to the atmosphere. With the help of the foaming reagents, the gas bubbles in the slag can also reduce the energy loss by preventing the molten steel from contacting the atmosphere. Furthermore, because of the reduction in slag viscosity, the process of slag removal from the steel liquid is also reduced, thereby reducing the energy consumption.
Besides, slag foaming technology also has an impact on the quality of the final slag. By increasing the proportion of the foaming reagents, the quality can be improved by inhibiting the silicon and carbon particles in the steel liquid. During the steel making process, the silicon particles will harden and become difficult to melt and separate, which will result in the production of poor quality slag. Additionally, the amount of carbon present in the steel liquid causes the formation of defects such as porosity, which in turn will affect the mechanical properties of the steel. By using foaming reagents, the amount of silicon and carbon particles can be reduced, and thus improves the overall quality of the slag.
In conclusion, slag protection technology plays a major role in the steel making process. The technology can significantly reduce the energy consumption, improve energy efficiency, and improve the quality of the final slag. As the environmental protection requirements become more and more strict, it is important to manage the steelmaking process in an effective way with the help of slag protection technology.
