Numerical Investigation of the Combined Effect of Reactive Cleaning and Active Filtration on Inclusion Removal in an Induction Crucible Furnace

Herein, the combined influence of reactive cleaning and active filtration on inclusion removal is investigated using numerical simulations. Carbon-bonded ceramic foam filters with active and reactive effect are inserted into the steel melt to remove nonmetallic inclusions. In case of reactive cleaning, carbon can dissolve from the filters into the melt. As a result, carbon reacts with oxygen on inclusion surface to form carbon monoxide bubbles. The filters can capture inclusions in terms of its active effect. A numerical model is developed in the open source library OpenFOAM to study the efficiency of the combined effect of filters. The results of the numerical simulations show that the flow field and the concentration of carbon are affected considerably by the position and the number of the used filters. Moreover, the results highlight the significant positive effect of reactive cleaning on the level of melt cleanliness despite the short time of the reactive phase of the filters. Moreover, it is apparent from the results that reactive cleaning dominates active filtration. The findings of the article prove the importance of reactive cleaning in the steel casting industry to enhance inclusion removal and improve steel quality.