The effect of substituting CaO with BaO and CaO/Al2O3 ratio on the viscosity of CaO–BaO–Al2O3–CaF2–Li2O mold flux system was studied by rotational viscosity method. The results showed that the viscosity increased with increasing BaO as a substitute for CaO, while the viscosity decreased with the increase in CaO/Al2O3 ratio. The viscous activation energy of the slags is from 92.1 kJ·mol−1 to 133.4 kJ·mol−1. Either the Arhenius or the Weymann–Frenkel equation can be applied to establish the viscosity prediction model. In this paper, the Weymann–Frenkel equation and a new optical basicity with regard to Al2O3 as an acidic oxide were applied to the modified NPL model for predicting the viscosity of CaO–BaO–Al2O3–CaF2–Li2O mold flux system. The estimated viscosity is in good agreement with the measured viscosity.

CO 2 utilization in the steel industry is indispensable to energy saving and emission reduction. Blowing CO 2 into a basic oxygen furnace assists decarburization. Thermodynamics of the decarburization reaction while injecting CO 2 into molten steel and the effects of the mixed-gas ratio, initial carbon content of the molten steel, and system pressure on decarburization and temperature change are discussed. The final carbon content of the molten steel increases and its temperature decreases with the increased volume fraction of CO 2 . Under normal atmospheric pressure, the decarburization reaction gradually stagnates. As the system pressure decreases, decarburization is more efficient and a lower gas mass is required. Compared with O 2 blowing, CO 2 mixed-gas blowing under a pressure of 10.1325 kPa results in a lower oxygen content in the molten steel of 0.028% and decarburization of 0.0065% is also achieved. An excessively high volume fraction of CO 2 , however, greatly reduces the bath temperature.

As an essential synthetic material used in the continuous casting of steels, mold fluxes improve the surface quality of steel slabs. In this study, a CaO-SiO2-Na2O-based low-fluorine mold flux was solidified by an improved water-cooled copper probe with different temperatures of molten flux and different probe immersion times. The heat flux through solid films and the film structures were calculated and inspected, respectively. Internal cracks (formed in the glassy layer of films during solidification) were observed. The formation and evolution of those cracks contributed to the unstable heat flux density. The roughness of the surface in contact with the water-cooled copper probe formed as films were still glassy and the roughness had no causal relationship with crystallization or devitrification. Combeite with columnar and faceted dendritic shapes were the main crystal in the film.

As an essential synthetic material used in continuous casting of steels, mold fluxes improve the surface quality of steel slabs. In this study, a CaO-SiO2-Na2O based low-fluorine mold flux was solidified by an improved water-cooled copper probe with different temperatures of molten flux and different probe immersion times. The heat flux through solid films and the film structures were calculated and inspected, respectively. The results indicate: large internal cracks (formed in the glassy layer of films during solidification) were observed, the formation and evolution of those cracks contributed to the the unstable heat flux density. The roughness of the surface in contacted with the water-cooled copper probe formed as films were still glassy and the roughness have no causal relationship with crystallization or devitrification. Combeite with columnar and faceted dendritic shapes is the main crystal in the film.

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