Low sulfur content is crucial in secondary steelmaking to enhance steel quality. The desulfurization rate is influenced by slag-steel interactions, including slag eye size and interfacial mass transfer coefficient. Gas-stirred ladles can impact the interaction through stirring conditions such as argon flow rate and dual plug separation angle. Using a 3D CFD simulation model, the effects of different stirring conditions on the desulfurization rates, molten steel flow, and slag-steel interfacial behaviors were investigated. Results showed that 180° separation angle leads to higher desulfurization efficiency than 90°. A higher argon gas flow rate increases desulfurization rate, and using 20 SCFM (8.92×10-3 Nm3/s) argon flow rate for both plugs resulted in higher desulfurization rate than using 5 SCFM (2.23×10-3 Nm3/s) for one plug and 20 SCFM for the other. The smallest desulfurization efficiency was observed when using 5 SCFM for both plugs.
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