Measurement of viscosity,density and surface tension of metal melts

A modified procedure for measuring viscosity, surface tension and density of metallic melts, using a gas bubble viscosimeter, is presented. The principle of measurement is based on the relation between rate of ascent of a gas bubble in the melt and the melt viscosity. The rate of bubble ascent is determined by registering the moment of detachment by pressure measurement in the lance and the moment of arrival of the bubble at the melt surface by video film and an image processing system. The procedure is tested and the limits of its application are determined by comparative measurements on reference metals. After tests on reference metals, measurements are taken of the viscosity, density and surface tension of Al-Cu alloys in the temperature range 960 – 1465 K with copper contents of 12.23 to 58.5%. The relationships between these values and temperature and composition of the melt are investigated, and corresponding approximation formulae derived.     

Formation of metallic phase by passing gaseous reducing agent through multicomponent oxide melt. Part 1. Theoretical principles

A model is proposed for the formation of metallic phase when gaseous reducing agent is bubbled through multicomponent oxide melt. The model includes the following stages: the formation of bubbles when gas is injected in the melt; the reduction of metal at the surface of the bubbles and its concentration in droplet form at the rear of the bubble; motion of the bubble–droplet system in a direction determined by the ratio of the uplift forces on the bubble and the gravitational forces on the droplet; entrainment of the droplets to the surface; and coalescence of the droplets and their descent on reaching a size such that the gravitational forces exceed the sum of the hydrostatic collision forces and the surface tension forces. Equations are presented for estimating the size of the gas bubble and the droplet moving in oxide melt without decrease in size; the direction of motion of the bubble–droplet system; its rate of ascent or descent; and the conditions in which the bubble–droplet system breaks down. The factors responsible for separation of the bubble and the droplet are identified: the surface properties of the oxide melt and the metallic melts and their interphase characteristics. By adjusting these parameters, the formation of metallic phase at the bottom of the vessel may be regulated.     

Mathematical modeling of the hydrodynamics of the bubble mode during the bottom blowing of the ladle furnace: Report III

The formation and motion of gas bubbles in the melt substantially affect the heat exchange and kinetics of chemical transformations when performing the fire refining of copper in the ladle furnace. The variation in the bubble velocity, as well as of the volume and surface of the moving gas bubble over the melt height, is considered in the presented mathematical model.     

Measurement of physical characteristics of bubbles in gas-liquid plumes: Part II. Local properties of turbulent air-water plumes in vertically injected jets

The structural development of air-water bubble plumes during upward injection into a ladle-shaped vessel has been measured under different conditions of air flow rate, orifice diameter, and bath depth. The measured radial profiles of gas fraction at different axial positions in the plume were found to exhibit good similarity, and the distribution of the phases in the plume was correlated to the modified Froude number. Different regions of flow behavior in the plume were identified by changes in bubble frequency, bubble velocity, and bubble pierced length which occur as bubbles rise in the plume. Measurement of bubble velocity indicates that close to the nozzle the motion of the gas phase is strongly affected by the injection velocity; at injection velocities below 41 m/s, the velocity of the bubbles along the centerline exhibits an increase with height, while above, the tendency reverses. High-speed film observations suggest that this effect is related to the nature of gas discharge,i.e., whether the gas discharge produces single bubbles or short jets. In this region of developing flow, measurement of bubble frequency and pierced length indicates that break-up of the discharging bubbles occurs until a nearly constant bubble-size distribution is established in a region of fully developed flow. In this largest zone of the plume the bubbles influence the flow only through buoyancy, and the spectra of bubble pierced length and diameter can be fitted to a log-normal distribution. Close to the bath surface, a third zone of bubble motion behavior is characterized by a faster decrease in bubble velocity as liquid flows radially outward from the plume.     

Investigation of the kinetics of breakup of gas bubbles in liquid metals with digital simulation method

The method of digital system simulation can be effectively used to quantify the complex multiphase interactions within a gas injection process. Process simulation results yield a better understanding and a better aimed engineering of gas dispersion techniques in metallurgical processes. In this paper the breakup phenomenon of gas bubbles in stagnant liquids is simulated and the dependencies between breakup of bubbles and various parameters of a gas dispersion process such as operative parameters, system parameters and mass transfer rates are investigated. The bubble diameter after breakup is almost independent of the nozzle diameter and gas flow rate. The frequency of bubble breakup and critical bubble size depend on the rate of mass transfer into the bubble. An almost constant rising velocity is achieved only in those cases investigated where mass transfer and bubble breakup are considered. In all other cases no stationary rising velocity is obtained. The interplay between bubble size, rising velocity and the inertia of the surrounding liquid and the influence of mass transfer and breakup are investigated. Simulation results reveal that the behaviour of an ascending bubble is strongly influenced by the mass transfer rate, i. e. by the composition of the melt. Verification of the simulation results with empirical equations from literature shows a very good agreement in all dispersion systems investigated.     

Theory of Initial Microcavity Growth in a Liquid Metal Around a Gas - Releasing Particle. Part 2. Bubble Initiation Conditions and Growth Kinetics

A theory is presented that includes capillary, hydrodynamic, and diffusion aspects. The main attention is devoted to capillary and hydrodynamic effects. The hydrodynamic process (bubble growth) is governed by a nonlinear integrodifferential equation, whose coefficients are dependent on the surface tension, density, and viscosity of the liquid, and also on the difference between the pressure in the gas within the bubble and that in the surrounding liquid. The gas pressure in the bubble is dependent on the rate of gas release from the inclusion (source). An expression is derived for the bubble radius as a function of time. The theory can be useful for developing the technology of powder materials and foam metals.     

Characteristics of Iron Droplet Ejection Caused by Gas Bubble Bursting Under Reduced Pressure

 Abstract: Bursting of gas bubbles on the free surface of liquid iron produces iron droplets that are ejected into the surrounding atmosphere. The influence of the freeboard pressure on gas bubble bursting was investigated by collecting and measuring the formed droplets in water and in liquid iron systems. In water modelling it was observed that gas bubbles expanded markedly during the floating up when the freeboard was evacuated but the influence of the freeboard pressure on mass of ejection is not significant when the freeboard pressure varied from 0.01 to 0.1 MPa. On the other hand, in steel melt mass of ejection increased 2-3 times when the pressure was reduced from atmospheric pressure to 66.5 Pa.     

Bubbling at high flow rates in inviscid and viscous liquids (slags)

The behavior of gas discharging into melts at high velocities but still in the bubbling regime has been investigated in a laboratory modeling study for constant flow conditions. Air or helium was injected through a vertical tuyere into water, zinc-chloride, and aqueous glycerol solutions. High speed cinematography and pressure measurements in the tuyere have been carried out simultaneously. Pressure fluctuations at the injection point were monitored and correlated to the mode of bubble formation. The effects of high gas flow rates and high liquid viscosities have been examined in particular. Flow rates were employed up to 10^-3 m³/s and viscosity to 0.5 Ns/m₂. In order to attain a high gas momentum, the tuyere diameter was only 3 x 10^-3 m. The experimental conditions and modeling liquids were chosen with special reference to the established practice of submerged gas injection to treat nonferrous slags. Such slags can be highly viscous. Bubble volume is smaller than that calculated from existing models such as those given by Davidson and Schüler10,11 due to the effect of gas momentum elongating the bubbles. On the other hand, viscosity tends to retard the bubble rise velocity, thus increasing volumes. To take elongation into account, a mathematical model is presented that assumes a prolate ellipsoidal shape of the bubbles. The unsteady potential flow equations for the liquid are solved for this case. Viscous effects are taken into account by noting that flow deviates from irrotational motion only in a thin boundary layer along the surface of the bubble. Thus, drag on the bubble can be obtained by calculating the viscous energy dissipation for potential flow past an ellipse. The time-dependent inertia coefficient for the ellipsoid is found by equating the vertical pressure increase inside and outside the bubble. This pressure change in the bubble is obtained by assuming that gas enters as a homogeneous jet and then calculating the stagnation pressure at the apex of the bubble.     

Measurement of physical characteristics of bubbles in gas-liquid plumes: Part I. An improved electroresistivity probe technique

This paper presents an experimental study of the structure of turbulent air-water bubble plumes in upwardly injected jets. Part I of the paper describes a microcomputer-aided two-element electro-resistivity probe technique developed for simultaneously determining various important local parameters of the gas phase: gas fraction, bubble frequency, bubble velocity spectrum, and bubble-pierced length spectrum. The measurement of the last two parameters, under the turbulent conditions investigated, necessitated the development of special electronic instrumentation and software to analyze, in real time, the signals produced by the contact of the bubbles with the sensor. The signal analysis, based on pattern recognition logic and the statistics of outliers, eliminated the uncertainties associated with the stochastic nature of the interception of the bubbles with the probe contacts. This permitted the measurement of the velocity of bubbles traveling vertically and undisturbed between the two contacts of the probe. The measuring technique developed was found to be reliable based on the determination of the velocity of single spherical cap bubbles and the consistency between measured and known gas volume flow rates in turbulent gas-liquid plumes.     

A novel probe for detecting gas bubbles in liquid metals

A novel probe intended for detecting gas bubbles within a liquid metal has been tested both in water and in a low melting point alloy. The probe is inexpensive in itself and in the cost of processing signals from the probe. It is also rugged in that the part (a simple tube) inserted into the liquid can be selected from materials resistant to the liquid. It is also rugged in that accidental damage to the tube is not costly. The probe functions by measuring, using a microphone, the pressure fluctuation as a bubble passes the probe tip. Use of two probes to measure a bubble rise velocity in water is also described.     

Studies in vacuum degassing: Mass and momentum transfer to gas bubbles rising in melts,the freeboard of which is evacuated

A mathematical formulation is presented describing the growth of gas bubbles rising in melts, the freeboard of which is evacuated. A novel aspect of the paper is that in the statement of the problem account is taken of the role played by liquid inertia and surface kinetics in limiting the growth rate and affecting the rising velocity of the bubble. The computed results were found to be in good agreement with experimental measurements conducted on the n-tetradecane-n-pentane system, both with regard to the bubble expansion and the rising velocities. The mathematical model was then used for predicting the behavior of CO and nitrogen bubbles under vacuum degassing conditions. The results of this work indicate that in vacuum degassing operations, on approaching the free surface, the gas bubbles will tend to rise appreciably slower than their terminal rising velocity, moreover the actual expansion of the bubble may be retarded by both surface kinetics and liquid inertia.     

Effect of interactions between bubbles and graphite particles in copper alloy melts on microstructure formed during centrifugal casting: Part I. Theoretical analysis

Frequently, particles get associated with gas bubbles in a melt and their interaction influences the final distribution of particles and porosity in the casting. An analytical model for the separation of a particle from a bubble in melts containing dispersed particles and bubbles is proposed. During centrifugal casting of alloys containing dispersed particles, both the particles and gas bubbles present in the melt move with the centrifugal forces. Using the force balance between surface tension and net centrifugal forces (centrifugal force minus buoyancy force), the critical rotational speed of the mold for the separation of the particles and the bubbles during centrifugal casting is calculated. The critical rotational speed of the mold to separate the particle from the bubble is lower for a small particle attached to a larger bubble, as compared to the case when a large particle is attached to a smaller bubble. For a given bubble size, the critical rotational speed of the mold to separate the bubble from the particle decreases with increasing particle size. For the specific case of spherical 5-μm radius graphite particles dispersed in copper alloy melt, it was found that even at a low semiapical angle of about 9 deg, the critical rotational speed needs to be around 5000 rpm for a bubble size of 500-μm radius and 0.09-m-diameter mold. The rotational speed decreases to 1000 rpm when the graphite particle radius increases to 100 μm for the same bubble size in copper alloy melt.     

Investigation of froth flotation and selection of reagents on the basis of the mechanism of their effect: Report 1. Substantiation of the selected methods for investigation of the process

Three strengthening components of the particle-bubble contact that emerges under the effect of appearance of the external detachment force f in the dynamic conditions of froth flotation are considered. These are the flexure of the bubble surface at the contact perimeter, the increase in the contact angle θ, and the local increase in the surface tension σ on the bubble surface near the perimeter of its contact with the detached particle. Using the equations of capillary physics and experiments, three possible mechanisms of flexure of the bubble surface (which are caused by the effect of gravitation and reagents, namely, classical, hysteresis, and capillary mechanisms) are revealed. The necessary properties of reagents, which promote such flexure under the effect of f, are established. These are their ability to selective hydrophobization of the particle surface and to the local increase in the surface tension σ on the stretched bubble surface. Two groups of simple methods are recommended to investigate the process and to select reagents which model the process of froth flotation: (i) to evaluate the ability of reagents to vary the wettability of the particle surface—flotation experiments in frothing and nonfrothing apparatuses and to measure detachment forces, the time of adherence of the bubbles to the particles, and contact angles; (ii) methods for recording the relaxation curves and evaluating frothing properties (for reagents acting preferentially on the bubble surface). The effect of the capillary pressure of the gas in variously sized bubbles on the value of detachment forces of the particles from them, as well as the invariance of these forces of σ during slow detachment, are shown.     

Prediction of Cavitation Depth in an Al-Cu Alloy Melt with Bubble Characteristics Based on Synchrotron X-ray Radiography

The size of cavitation region is a key parameter to estimate the metallurgical effect of ultrasonic melt treatment (UST) on preferential structure refinement. We present a simple numerical model to predict the characteristic length of the cavitation region, termed cavitation depth, in a metal melt. The model is based on wave propagation with acoustic attenuation caused by cavitation bubbles which are dependent on bubble characteristics and ultrasonic intensity. In situ synchrotron X-ray imaging of cavitation bubbles has been made to quantitatively measure the size of cavitation region and volume fraction and size distribution of cavitation bubbles in an Al-Cu melt. The results show that cavitation bubbles maintain a log-normal size distribution, and the volume fraction of cavitation bubbles obeys a tanh function with the applied ultrasonic intensity. Using the experimental values of bubble characteristics as input, the predicted cavitation depth agrees well with observations except for a slight deviation at higher acoustic intensities. Further analysis shows that the increase of bubble volume and bubble size both leads to higher attenuation by cavitation bubbles, and hence, smaller cavitation depth. The current model offers a guideline to implement UST, especially for structural refinement.     

Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements of the Mean Flow Characteristics in a Bubble Plume

A direct measurement method for the velocity field in multiphase flows using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) methods is developed to study the flow characteristics of an unbounded bubble plume in quiescent, unstratified ambient conditions. A single camera is used to obtain images containing both bubbles and fluid tracer particles. Using gray-scale thresholding, phase-separated images of the bubbles are produced, and bubble velocities are obtained from these images using the standard PTV method. Regular PIV is applied to the mixed fluid images, and bubble vectors are removed using a velocity threshold and vector median filter that is calibrated to the PTV result. From the separate velocity fields, the time-averaged flow characteristics of a bubble plume are studied. Gaussian velocity profiles match the entrained fluid velocity, and top-hat velocity profiles match the bubble velocity. Time-averaged values are also presented of velocity, plume width, entrained fluid volume flux, and void fraction as a function of height. From these data, the entrainment coefficient for the entrained ambient fluid is calculated and lies between 0.08 near the plume source and 0.05 in the upper reaches. The results for the entrainment coefficient, together with those from the literature, are correlated to a nondimensional velocity, given by the ratio of the bubble slip velocity us to a characteristic velocity in the plume (B/z)1/3, where B = kinematic buoyancy flux and z is the height above the source.     

进气方向对文丘里微气泡发生器气泡直径的影响

文丘里微气泡发生装置常采用自吸式进气的方式,在工程应用中可能存在微气泡通量不足的问题。采用压缩空气进气,并通过照相法重点考察了错流、逆流和并流3种进气方向对文丘里管微气泡发生器生成气泡直径的影响。结果表明：喉管处液速超过4.72 m/s时所产生的湍流剪切场才能将进入的气泡破碎成~200 μm级别的微气泡;添加3-戊醇能够稳定生成的微气泡,抑制生成的气泡在从文丘里管到测试槽表面逸出过程中的聚并和破碎过程,从而使测试槽中不同位置处气泡直径能保持生成时的微气泡的直径;3种进气方向中,错流进气因气泡进入后更贴近壁面流动,所生成气泡直径最大;而并流进气气泡脱离时间更短,使得生成气泡尺寸最小。在相同条件下,并流进气生成的微气泡比表面积最大,约是错流进气的3倍,最有利于气液传质。     

Motion dynamics of anodic gas in the cryolite melt–alumina high-temperature slurry

The results of physical simulation of the behavior of bubbles formed due to the electrochemical evolution of oxygen on an inert anode during the high-temperature electrolysis of alumina slurry in the fluoride melt are presented. Similarity criteria are calculated, the experiments for a water model with vertically oriented electrodes are performed, and the data on the behavior of bubbles in the slurry are found with the help of video recording. The 20% aqueous solution of sulfuric acid with an alumina content of 30 vol % was used as the model electrolyte. The experiments were performed in a range of current densities from 0.05 to 0.25 A/cm². Video was recorded using a Nikon D3100 camera with a recording frequency of 30 frames/s. The data on the motion dynamics of the bubbles, the quantitative data that characterize coalescence, and the bubble lifting velocity are found. To determine the average lifting velocity, 125 bubbles were analyzed. They were 0.8–2.3 mm thick. The bubble motion is performed in the slug regime with lifting velocity of 1.0–2.3 cm/s. The bubble layer thickness was about 5 mm. Further investigations will be directed to finding new data on the behavior of bubbles for various solid phase contents, current density, electrode slope angle, and granulometric composition.     

Numerical Investigation on Coalescence Behavior of Liquid Inclusion Particles in Argon Bubble Wake Flow

Microinclusions in steel will significantly affect mechanical performance of final products and therefore require serious concern during metallurgical process. Herein, the collision, coalescence as well as floatation of bubble–inclusion coexisting system is fully studied through a new mathematical model. It comes to the following conclusions: as bubbles rise, they induce a flow of liquid steel from their upper surface to their lower surface, and inclusion droplets rise and collide in the wake of the bubble. The velocity of the bubbles is affected by their deformation, with deformation rates being linked to the Weber number. The coalescence time of these inclusions is primarily influenced by viscosity and surface tension. Coalescence accelerates with higher surface tension or reduced viscosity, and this phenomenon can be described by a formula, which is developed by simulation results. According to this formula, coalescence time of 3CaO·Al₂O₃ is 20% longer than that of 12CaO7·Al₂O₃. Consequently, 12CaO7·Al₂O₃ is more prone to coalescence. The movement of inclusions can be controlled by adjusting gas volume and flow rate. Moreover, promoting coalescence can be achieved by altering the viscosity of inclusions and the surface tension coefficient, making it easier to remove these unwanted inclusions.     

Simulation of Magnetohydrodynamic Multiphase Flow Phenomena and Interface Fluctuation in Aluminum Electrolytic Cell with Innovative Cathode

A three-dimensional (3D) transient mathematical model has been developed to understand the effect of innovative cathode on molten cryolite (bath)/molten aluminum (metal) interface fluctuation as well as energy-saving mechanism in aluminum electrolytic cell with innovative cathode. Based on the finite element method, the steady charge conservation law, Ohm’s law, and steady-state Maxwell’s equations were solved in order to investigate electric current field, magnetic field, and electromagnetic force (EMF) field. Then, an inhomogeneous multiphase flow model of three phases including bath, metal, and gas bubbles, based on the finite volume method, was implemented using the Euler/Euler approach to investigate melt motion and bath/metal interface fluctuation. EMF was incorporated into the momentum equations of bath and metal as a source term. Additionally, the interphase drag force was employed to consider different phase interactions. Thus, present work owns three main features: (1) magnetohydrodynamic multiphase flow are demonstrated in detail both in aluminum electrolytic cell with traditional cathode and innovative cathode; (2) bath/metal interface fluctuation due to different driving forces of gas bubbles, EMF, and the combined effect of the two driving forces is investigated, which is critical to the energy saving; and (3) the effect of innovative cathode on melt flow and motion of gas bubbles. A good agreement between the predicated results and measurement is obtained. The velocity difference leading to the melt oscillation decreases due to more uniform flow field. The average velocity of metal in the cell with innovative cathode decreases by approximately 33.98 pct. The gas bubbles in the cell with innovative cathode releases more quickly under the effect of protrusion on the cathode. The average bubble release frequency increases from 1.1 to 1.98 Hz. Hence, the voltage drop caused by gas bubbles would decrease significantly. In addition, the two large vortices are broken into many small vortices due to the protrusion. The final disappearance of the small vortices as a result of viscous dissipation is conducive to the suppression of bath/metal interface fluctuation. The average interface amplitude in the cell with innovative cathode reduces to 75.95 pct of that in the cell with traditional cathode.