The use of smooth particle hydrodynamics to model dross formation during crucible tipping of aluminium melts

Liquid aluminum is readily oxidized during melt handling, resulting in the formation of dross (a mix of oxide and trapped metal) that must be skimmed off prior to casting. In a typical primary smelter, the net melt loss is ∼1% of total production (a large financial impost and CO footprint), with ∼50% estimated to occur during furnace filling. Dross reduction is typically addressed in casthouses by best-guess engineering approaches; however, computational modeling techniques may be used to explore the effects of process design and conditions, thus leading to new strategies for dross minimisation. This paper describes the use of Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) to simulate the amount of oxide generated during molten metal transfer from a tilting crucible furnace into a sow, using an experimentally-determined oxidation model. The predicted oxide levels are compared with the experimental results from the crucible transfers.