Interaction of exogenous refractory nanophases with antimony dissolved in liquid iron

Abstract

The heterophase interaction of Al₂O₃ refractory nanoparticles with a surfactant impurity (antimony) in the Fe–Sb (0.095 wt %)–O (0.008 wt %) system is studied. It is shown that the introduction of 0.06–0.18 wt % Al₂O₃ nanoparticles (25–83 nm) into a melt during isothermal holding for up to 1200 s leads to a decrease in the antimony content: the maximum degree of antimony removal is 26 rel %. The sessile drop method is used to investigate the surface tension and the density of Fe, Fe–Sb, and Fe–Sb–Al₂O₃ melts. The polytherms of the surface tension of these melts have a linear character, the removal of antimony from the Fe–Sb–Al₂O₃ melts depends on the time of melting in a vacuum induction furnace, and the experimental results obtained reveal the kinetic laws of the structure formation in the surface layers of the melts. The determined melt densities demonstrate that the introduction of antimony into the Fe–O melt causes an increase in its compression by 47 rel %. The structure of the Fe–Sb–O melt after the introduction of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles depends on the time of melting in a vacuum induction furnace.