To investigate the phenomenon of molten steel exposure and improve molten steel cleanliness in a tundish, a five-strand billet tundish was selected as the research object. A 1:4-scale water model combined with numerical simulation was established to study the gas phase flow behaviour and the exposed area of slag eyes at different residual steel weight. The study has revealed that under different residual steel weight, the exposure of slag eyes and the phenomenon of slag emulsification become more pronounced as the residual steel weight decreases during continuous casting. The most severe slag eye exposure and slag emulsification occur at a residual steel weight of 20 t, leading to deterioration in molten steel cleanliness. This research can provide valuable insights for the optimisation of five-strand tundishes in industrial production.
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