Study of penetration and corrosion of olivine–periclase and periclase based tundish DVMs by molten slag

Abstract

To enhance the billet caster tundish life, this study examines the relevance of the replacement of regularly used olivine–periclase based mixes by purer MgO containing dry vibe mass (DVM). After service, tundish working lining samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy to understand the influence of MgO saturation of the adhering slag and working lining interaction with the infiltrated slag. The result showed that the tundish working lining was penetrated and corroded by the molten slag for both DVM recipes. However, an increase in MgO content in the DVM exerted a chemical filtration to the molten slag, and the higher concentration of periclase dissolved into the slag, forming a saturated layer at the slag/refractory interface that resulted in the restriction of further slag penetration, probably due to an increase in the slag viscosity.