Abstract
Various physiochemical properties of mould powders, such as viscosity and break point, are found to be related to chemical composition through molar ratios, such as number of non-bridging oxygen per tetrahedrally coordinated atom and oxygen to silicon. A number of relationships have been developed between physical properties and molar ratios, and a mathematical model has been developed using the relationships to develop a quick method for analysing the suitability of the mould powder for continuous casting. The method can predict viscosity within a range of temperatures, break temperature, and the effect of inclusion pick-up on the mould powder viscosity. A Microsoft Office Excel interface has been developed to display the results, including the viscosity versus temperature curve and the effect of alumina pick-up. The model output results have been validated using a high temperature viscometer.
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