Analytical control of liquid steel in an induction melting furnace using a remote laser induced plasma spectrometer

An open-path laser-induced plasma spectrometer (OP-LIPS) has been designed, built and demonstrated under factory conditions. The system, built in the University of Malaga, was transported and installed at the on-line control laboratory of a stainless steel factory. A laboratory-scale induction furnace of 1 kg capacity was used for the tests. OP-LIPS has proved to be a reliable technique capable of discriminating changes produced in hot-solid and liquid stainless steel composition. Under these conditions, OP-LIPS has been shown of particular value, evidencing its capability to reveal surface composition changes on-line, and with real-time response at very high-temperatures.