A study on the mechanism of reaction between refractory materials and aluminium deoxidised molten steel

The conditions of formation of inclusions in steel during ladle refining in MgO-C lined ladles have been investigated in laboratory experiments at 1873 K in MgO-C crucibles with 50 g iron. From both the experimental results as well those of a thermodynamic study conducted in parallel, the following conclusions can be made about the reaction mechanism between the MgO-C refractory and aluminium deoxidised molten steel: At steelmaking temperature an internal oxidation-reduction occurs in the MgO-C refractory. The formation of a thin oxide layer at the interface is due to the reaction between magnesium vapour and aluminium dissolved into the molten steel and the CO(g) generated by the reaction between MgO and C in the crucible walls. The oxide inclusions formed in the steel have been shown mainly to consist of MgO, Al2O3 or mixture of them. Some of the finest inclusions are considered to be formed as secondary inclusions during cooling and solidification of the steel and they are connected only with the diffusion of magnesium from the crucible to the molten steel. The thermodynamic calculations indicate that during vacuum refining, as the pressure decreases, the chemical compatibility of carbon-bonded magnesia for ladle lining decreases.