A STEADY STATE MATERIAL BALANCE MODEL AND ITS APPLICATION TO CONTROL POST TAPPING STEEL CHEMISTRY IN LADLE REFINING FURNACE

To development of the model to control post tapping steel chemistry in LRF and full final slag study analysis:

A static material balance model for a ladle refining furnace (LRF) is developed based on the mass balance with the objective of proportioning the amount and composition of the inputs such as ferroalloys and fluxes’ (aluminium bar, Al mix, carbosil powder, synthetic slag, high & low carbon ferromanganese, ferrosilicon, silico-manganese, high & low carbon ferrochrome , ferroaluminium, aluminium wire & shots, manganese metal and lime) to meet the point required (required increase in wt % X i.e. for developing the grade, efficiency and recovery details of added ferroalloy, which are generally plant specific. It is capable of predicting the specific amount of ferroalloy addition required to meet desired chemical composition and its effect on other element in steel, to control steel chemistry in the specified range to avoid heat off in chemistry. In addition to this, it also helps to maintain chemistry in a very narrow range which further provides consistency in heat treatment results at original equipment manufacturers end. It is also capable to predict the specific amount and composition& its basicity of final slag generated in LRF. It also helps to control the C/A ratio (i.e. CaO/Al2O3) in slag for the requirement of cleanliness of steel.