Transport and Entrapment of Particles in Steel Continuous Casting

A particle-capture model based on local force balances has been developed, implemented into computational models of turbulent fluid flow and particle transport, and applied to simulate the entrapment of slag inclusions and bubbles during the continuous casting of steel slabs. Turbulent flow of molten steel is computed in the nozzle and mold using transient computational fluid flow models, both with and without the effects of argon gas injection. Next, the transport and capture of many particles are simulated using a Lagrangian approach. Particles touching the dendritic interface may be pushed away, dragged away by the transverse flow, or captured into the solidifying shell according to the results of a local balance of ten different forces. This criterion was validated by reproducing experimental results in two different systems. The implications of this criterion are discussed quantitatively. Finally, the fluid flow/particle transport model results and capture criterion are applied together to predict the entrapment distributions of different sized particles in a typical slab caster. More large particles are safely removed than small ones, but the entrapment rate into the solidifying shell as defects is still very high.