Vibration of argon–oxygen decarburisation vessel during gas injection

Abstract

Vibration of the molten bath surface in steelmaking vessels can enhance wear of the refractory lining, cause problems with the vessel support system and complicate control of the refining processes. The occurrence of vibration of the vessel during gas injection in argon–oxygen decarburisation (AOD) has been studied. The frequency and intensity of vibrations were measured using an accelerometer. According to a model and industrial tests, the intensity of vibration depends on the gas flowrate, gas composition, carbon removal rate, wear of the refractory lining and penetration of the gas jets. In AOD, the intensity of vibration is dominated by the blowing procedure, not by the carbon removal rate. Also, according to both industrial and model tests, there was a clear link between intensity of vibration and penetration of the gas jets in the liquid bath.