Original Article

Effect of TiO₂ on electrical conductivity, viscosity, and melt structure of electroslag remelting slag

¹ School of Metallurgical Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
² Research Center of Metallurgical Engineering Technology of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710055, China

^* e-mail: hxm1233212024@163.com

Received: 29 February 2024
Accepted: 4 June 2024

Abstract

Electrical conductivity and viscosity of electroslag being crucial parameters. Using a high-temperature physical property measuring instrument, the effects of different TiO₂ concentration and temperatures on electroslag conductivity and viscosity were investigated. With an increase from 1733 K to 1823 K resulting in elevated electrical conductivity (1.04 to 1.89 S · cm⁻¹) and reduced viscosity (0.14 to 0.09 Pa · s). This is because the higher the temperature is, the more the polymer in the slag is depolymerized. Similarly, as TiO₂ content increased from 7% to 16%, the electrical conductivity increased (0.24 to 1.14 S · cm⁻¹), and the viscosity decreased (0.33 to 0.11 Pa · s). TiO₂ simplified the structure of the melt, and based on the infrared and Raman spectral analysis, it can be seen that Ti⁴⁺ replaced Al³⁺ in the [AlO₄]⁵⁻ structure to form the Ti₂O₆⁴⁻structural unit, which depolymerized the structure of the slag system, leading to the reduction of Q⁴ units and thus greatly reducing the electrical conductivity. The relationship between electrical conductivity, viscosity, and structure was quantified, demonstrating a clear inverse correlation between electrical conductivity and viscosity. The relationships offer insights into predicting electrical conductivity and viscosity based on slag structure.