Abstract

An investigation was conducted on the removal of non-metallic inclusions in steel through fusion by electromagnetic levitation in synthetic slag, aiming to improve the material's cleanness. Steel samples (DIN 17135) were placed inside pre-fabricated slag powder, levitated, and melted using an electromagnetic field. The molten samples were held inside molten slag for varying durations (3 to 15 min) and temperatures (1400 to 1550°C). Different slag compositions were also examined. The non-metallic inclusion content of solidified samples was determined using optical microscopy, following the ASTM E45 standard (method A). The results showed that increasing the temperature and duration of melting significantly reduced the number and size of inclusions. Oversized inclusions (> 37.5 μm) were completely eliminated, and the number of heavy inclusions decreased by up to 75%. However, the removal rate of smaller inclusions was lower than that of larger inclusions. Additionally, it was observed that increasing the CaF2 content of the slag enhanced the steel's cleanness.

Key words: Inclusions, Electromagnetic levitation melting, inclusion removal, synthetic slag, alloy cleanness.