Flow Characteristics of Indian Blast Furnace Slag

Abstract

A study of the flow characteristics of Indian Blast furnace slag is necessary to study the softening and melting phenomenon in the blast furnace which highly affects the size and position of the cohesive zone. It also affects the operation in the blast furnace, hot metal quality and the consumption of the reductant. In the current work, the flow characteristics of high alumina synthetic slag (Al2O3 25%) are determined by Leitz-Wetzlar high temperature microscope resembling different Indian blast furnace slag. The C/S ratio was varied from 0.9-1.2 and MgO was varied from 4-10 %. It was observed that the softening, hemispherical and flow temperature increases with an increase in the C/S ratio. Increase in the MgO content increases both softening and flow temperature. In addition, an effective statistical model is developed through constructing empirical equations by regression analysis method to predict softening temperature (ST), hemispherical temperature (HT) and flow temperature (FT) based on CaO/SiO2 ratio, MgO and Al2O3 content. Calculated values of ST, HT and FT using this empirical relation based model correspond well with results obtained experimentally from hot-stage microscope. This well validated statistical model based on empirical equations will be useful in predicting the flow characteristics temperature for blast furnace slag.