Original Article

Aluminate-based mold fluxes with high crystallization and high lubrication characteristics

¹ Hunan Valin Lianyuan Iron & Steel Co Ltd, Hunan, Loudi, 417009
² School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Anhui, Ma’anshan, 243032
³ State Key Laboratory of Advanced Refractories, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, PR China

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Received: 30 September 2025
Accepted: 2 December 2025

Abstract

To achieve coordinated control of lubrication and heat transfer in aluminate-based mold fluxes, the influence of typical components (Na₂O, Li₂O, BaO, and MgO) on the performance of mold fluxes was investigated. The experimental results reveal that with increasing contents of Li₂O (0∼5 wt.%), BaO and Na₂O (both 0∼10 wt.%), and MgO (2∼6 wt.%), the mold flux exhibits a monotonic decrease in hemispherical temperature, viscosity at 1300 °C, and breaking temperature, while a continuous increase in electrical conductivity at 1300 °C, which indicates enhanced lubrication capacity of mold fluxes. As for the apparent crystallization ratio of mold fluxes, it increases with Li₂O addition and reaches 100% when Li₂O exceeds 2 wt.%, while it gradually decreases with BaO addition. With increasing Na₂O and MgO content, the apparent crystallization ratio first decreases and then increases, with inflection points at Na₂O = 6 wt.% and MgO = 2 wt.%, respectively. Overall, as the content ranges of Li₂O (0∼5 wt.%), Na₂O (6∼10 wt.%), MgO (2∼6 wt.%), and BaO (0∼10 wt.%) increase, the breaking temperature of the mold fluxes decreases, enhancing lubrication ability, while the apparent crystallization ratio increases, boosting crystallization ability. These ranges represent the optimal composition for aluminate-based mold fluxes with high crystallization and high lubrication.