Evaluation of Interfacial Energy between Molten Fe and Fe-18%Cr-9%Ni Alloy and Non-Metallic Inclusion-Type Oxides

Abstract

The contact angles between three non-metallic inclusion-type oxide substrates, viz. Al 2 O 3 , MgO, and MgO•Al 2 O 3 , and molten Fe and molten Fe-based stainless steel (Fe-Cr-Ni alloy) were measured using the sessile drop method in Ar atmosphere at 1873 K. The contact angles between molten Fe and oxide substrates ranged between 111° and 117°, while that between molten Fe-Cr-Ni alloy and substrates ranged between 103° and 105°. The angles between the alloy and each of the substrates were smaller than the corresponding values for Fe, which was attributed to the superior wettability of molten Fe-Cr-Ni alloy on the substrates. The wettability of the molten materials is related to the interfacial tension between the molten metals and each substrate. Thus, the interfacial tension between the molten metals and the non-metallic substrates was quantitatively evaluated using Young's equation and the measured contact angles; the interfacial tension for molten Fe ranged from 1.862 to 2.781 N•m −1 , while that for molten Fe-Cr-Ni alloy ranged from 1.513 to 2.286 N•m −1 . Owing to the higher reactivity between molten Fe-Cr-Ni alloy and the substrates, the interfacial tension and energy between them were lower than those between molten Fe and the substrates.