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Acta Metall Sin  2025, Vol. 61 Issue (12): 1895-1910    DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00055
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Numerical Simulation of Ar Bubbles Fragmentation-Polymerization and Trapping Behavior in Continuous Casting Mold
XU Tao1,2, DENG Anyuan1,2(), LI Yang3, WANG Engang1,2
1 Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
2 School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
3 State Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Vanadium and Titanium Resources, Pangang Group Research Institute Co. Ltd. , Panzhihua 617000, China
Cite this article: 

XU Tao, DENG Anyuan, LI Yang, WANG Engang. Numerical Simulation of Ar Bubbles Fragmentation-Polymerization and Trapping Behavior in Continuous Casting Mold. Acta Metall Sin, 2025, 61(12): 1895-1910.

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Abstract  

Nozzle Ar blowing technology profoundly influences the production and quality of continuous casting slabs. Its primary objectives include minimizing nozzle nodules, eliminating inclusions, and enhancing slab quality. Extensive physical experiments and numerical simulations have been performed to reveal the metallurgical phenomena and principles in continuous casting molds. However, the high costs associated with physical experiments and constraints related to model size and measurement methods hinder the accurate depiction of the actual motion state of high-temperature liquid steel and bubbles. As a result, more researchers are using numerical simulation methods to investigate Ar blowing at the nozzle. The focus of these studies typically involves tracking bubbles' position, velocity, and diameter using the Euler-Lagrange method. Numerous scholars have explored the influence of process parameters such as casting speed and Ar blowing rate on the distribution of Ar bubbles in the mold via numerical simulations. These studies also examine how these parameters affect the capture of Ar bubbles in the solidified shell. However, few scholars have explored the interactions among bubbles, such as collision, coalescence, and fragmentation. Understanding these interactions is crucial for determining bubble distribution, particularly near the mold wall, which significantly impacts the quality of the solidified shell. A collision-polymerization-fragmentation-trapping model has been developed to address this gap and describe bubble behavior. This model aims to effectively manage the movement and distribution of Ar bubbles in the slab mold, enhance the efficiency of inclusion removal by bubbles, and minimize bubble entrapment in the solidified shell. The simulation study examined how casting speed, Ar blowing rate, nozzle angle, and nozzle immersion depth affect the movement of Ar bubbles in a 800 mm × 1300 mm × 230 mm continuous casting mold. The findings underscore the critical role of bubble collision, aggregation, and fragmentation in shaping their size distribution in the mold. Moreover, process parameters substantially influence the spatial distribution of bubbles: larger bubbles tend to accumulate and float up near the nozzle, medium-sized bubbles are located and float up farther from the nozzle, and smaller bubbles predominantly gather and float up near the mold's narrow surfaces. However, some small bubbles have the potential to migrate toward the deeper sections of the mold and become entrapped by the solidified shell, potentially causing defects in the slab quality. The distribution of bubbles is predominantly influenced by the nozzle immersion depth, which affects where bubbles are located in the mold. Meanwhile, the Ar blowing rate and the nozzle angle significantly affect the diameter and number of bubbles in the mold. Additionally, casting speed is crucial in influencing bubble distribution, number, and diameter in the mold. Optimal conditions, such as a casting speed of 1.4 m/min, an Ar blowing rate of 10 L/min, a nozzle angle of -15°, and a nozzle immersion depth of 180 mm, result in a well-dispersed bubble distribution in the mold. This favorable dispersion enhances the effectiveness of inclusion removal, improves the purity of liquid steel, minimizes bubble entrapment by solidified shells, and consequently enhances the overall quality of the slab.

Key words:  continuous casting mold      Ar bubble      inclusion      solidified shell      capture behavior     
Received:  28 February 2024     
ZTFLH:  TF777  
Fund: Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities(BP0719037)
Corresponding Authors:  DENG Anyuan, professor, Tel: 13898801894, E-mail: dengay@epm.neu.edu.cn

URL: 

https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00055     OR     https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2025/V61/I12/1895

Fig.1  Schematic of eccentric collision model of bubbles[15] (0 < B < 1, B—collision coefficient, R1—radius of Bubble 1, R2—radius of Bubble 2, ur—relative velocity of two bubbles, b—projection length of the line connecting the centers of two bubbles on the vertical plane with respect to the ur, θ—angle between the line connecting the centers of two bubbles and ur, u1—velocity of Bubble 1, u2—velocity of Bubble 2)
Fig.2  Schematics of physical model (a) and grid (b)
Process parameterSymbolValueUnit
Mold length, width, and thicknessLm × Wm × Tm800 × 1300 × 230mm3
Nozzle diameterdin80mm
Nozzle outlet height and widthHout × Wout83 × 65mm2
Nozzle angledθ-10, -15, -20(°)
Nozzle immersion depthdim130, 180, 230mm
Casting speedvp1.2, 1.4, 1.6m·min-1
Degree of superheatTsub15K
Initial particle diameter of argon bubblesdinit1mm
Ar blowing rateQb5, 10, 20L·min-1
Density of molten steelρ7020kg·m-3
Viscosity of molten steelμ0.0067Pa·s-1
Specific heat capacity at constant pressurecp750J·kg-1·K-1
Thermal conductivityλ30W·m-1·K-1
Coefficient of thermal expansionγt0.0001K-1
Latent heatLh270kJ·kg-1
Argon-liquid steel surface tension coefficientγb1.4N·m-1
Bubble densityρb0.56kg·m-3
Solidus temperatureTS1730K
Liquidus temperatureTL1786K
Table 1  Parameters of numerical simulation
CaseTotal cell number(| Vj - VD| / | VD|) / %(|Tj - TD| / |TD|) / %(|Lj - LD| / |LD|) / %
A3536801.8001.382.909
B4057841.6481.361.075
C4578880.3790.650.506
D536044---
Table 2  Verification of grid independence for four different total cell number
Fig.3  Bubble fragmentation experiment results[25] (a) and simulation results (b) (Red circles represent the process of bubble fragmentation)
Fig.4  Bubble collision-polymerization experiment results[25] (a) and simulation results (b) (Red circles represent the process of bubble collision-polymerization)
Fig.5  Bubble collision-bounce experiment results[25] (a) and simulation results (b) (Red circles represent the process of bubble collision-bounce)
Fig.6  Water model experimental results of bubble distribution in the mold[26] (The water blowing rate is 3.16 m3/h, the Ar blowing rate is 0.074 m3/h, the bottom shape of nozzle is concave, and the nozzle immersion depth is 78 mm)
Fig.7  Distribution of Ar bubbles (a) and gas volume fraction (b) of the mold (The casting speed is 1.4 m/min, the Ar blowing rate is 10 L/min, the nozzle angle is -15°, and the nozzle immersion depth is 180 mm. Vf—volume fraction)
Fig.8  Velocity distribution (a) and flow field distribution (b) on center section of mold (The casting speed is 1.4 m/min, the Ar blowing rate is 10 L/min, the nozzle angle is -15°, and the nozzle immersion depth is 180 mm)
Fig.9  Trajectories of Ar bubbles in the mold at different time (t) (The casting speed is 1.4 m/min, the Ar blowing rate is 10 L/min, the nozzle angle is -15°, and the nozzle immersion depth is 180 mm)
(a)0 s (b)1 s (c)3 s (d)5 s
Fig.10  Distributions of bubbles (a-c) and gas volume fractions (d-f) of the mold with different casting speeds (The Ar blowing rate is 10 L/min, the nozzle angle is -15°, and the nozzle immersion depth is 180 mm)
(a, d) 1.2 m/min (b, e) 1.4 m/min (c, f) 1.6 m/min
Fig.11  Numbers (a) and average diameters (b) of bubbles in the mold with different casting speeds (SEN—submerged entry nozzle)
Fig.12  Trapped bubble volumes (a) and capture ratio of bubbles with different diameters (b) of the mold with different casting speeds
Fig.13  Distributions of bubbles (a-c) and gas volume fractions (d-f) of mold with different Ar blowing rates (The casting speed is 1.4 m/min, the nozzle angle is -15°, and the nozzl immesion depth is 180 mm)
(a, d) 5 L/min (b, e) 10 L/min (c, f) 20 L/min
Fig.14  Numbers (a) and average diameters (b) of bubbles in the mold with different Ar blowing rates
Fig.15  Trapped bubble volumes (a) and capture ratios of bubbles with different diameters (b) of the mold with different Ar blowing rates
Fig.16  Distributions of bubbles (a-c) and gas volume fractions (d-f) of the mold with different nozzle angles (The casting speed is 1.4 m/min, the nozzle angle is 15°, and the nozzle immesion depth is 180 mm)
(a, d) -10° (b, e) -15° (c, f) -20°
Fig.17  Average diameters (a) and numbers (b) of bubbles in the mold with different nozzle angles
Fig.18  Trapped bubble volumes (a) and capture ratios of bubbles with different diameters (b) of the mold with different nozzle angles
Fig.19  Distributions of bubbles (a-c) and gas volume fractions (d-f) of the mold with different nozzle immersion depths (The casting speed is 1.4 m/min, the Ar blowing rate is 10 L/min, and the nozzle angle is -15°)
(a, d) 130 mm (b, e) 180 mm (c, f) 230 mm
Fig.20  Numbers (a) and average diameters (b) of bubbles in the mold with different nozzle immersion depths
Fig.21  Trapped bubble volumes (a) and capture ratios of bubbles with different diameters (b) in the mold with different nozzle immersion depths
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