Nitrogen addition using a gas blow in an ESR process

A new nitrogen method for adding in an ESR process using nitrogen gas blown in through the electrode was investigated. Nitrogen gas blown through a center bore of the electrode enabled contact between the nitrogen gas and the molten steel directly underneath the electrode tip. A ∼ 145 mm diameter, laboratory-sized PESR furnace was used for the study on the reaction kinetics. Also, we carried out a water-model experiment in order to check the injection depth of the gas blown in the slag. The water model showed that the gas did not reach the upper surface of the molten metal and flowed on the bottom surface of the electrode only. An EPMA was carried out for a droplet remaining on the tip of the electrode after melting. The molten steel from the tip of the electrode shows that nitrogen gas absorption occurred at the tip of the electrode. The mass transfer coefficient was around 1.0x10^-2 cm/sec in the system. This value is almost the same as the coefficient at the molten steel free surface. (paper)