Original Article

Influence of argon flow rate during RH static blowing on inclusion behavior in steel refining

¹ School of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, Sichuan, PR China
² Tangshan Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. Tangshan 063000, Hebei, PR China
³ Hot Rolling Department, Qian’ an Iron and Steel Corporation, Shougang Company Limited, Tangshan 064400, Hebei, PR China
⁴ Department of Metallurgical Technology Research, Central Iron and Steel Research Institute, Beijing 100081, PR China

^* e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 27 April 2025
Accepted: 2 August 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of argon flow rates on non-metallic inclusion behavior during RH refining through simulations and industrial trials. Simulations calculation results reveal that higher flow rates enlarge argon bubbles and diffusion areas but excessive turbulence at 10 NL · min⁻¹ disrupts slag-metal interaction, reducing inclusion adsorption. Inclusion removal efficiency improves with prolonged argon blowing, stabilizes after 6 minutes, and achieving similar removal efficiencies observed at both 8 and 10 NL · min⁻¹. Industrial tests demonstrate that 5 NL · min⁻¹ and 8 NL · min⁻¹ maintain optimal flow stability, while 10 NL · min⁻¹ induces slag entrainment, increasing T.O content beyond 20 ppm. Dominated by Al₂O₃-CaO inclusions (≤10 µm), inclusion density declines over time but remains elevated at 10 NL · min⁻¹. The study identifies 8 NL · min⁻¹ with an 8 minutes blowing duration as the optimal condition, achieving ≤20 ppm oxygen content while maximizing inclusion removal. These findings provide actionable guidelines for refining optimization, improving steel quality while reducing costs.