Diversified Aggregated Patterns of Alumina Inclusions in High-Al Iron Melt

High-concentration Al deoxidation resulting in diversified aggregated patterns of alumina inclusions in high-Al iron melt were observed, especially, a new alumina agglomerate with a ring shape was reported and discussed in the current work. A large number of small alumina particle originated from the explosive nucleation of alumina in Fe-Al-O reaction zone with high-concentration Al in a short time is the critical condition for forming the alumina-agglomerated ring. To understand the stabilities of the ring, the relationships among the liquid capillary force, the equivalent inner radius of ring, the filling angle, and the separation distance h were quantitatively investigated based on a mathematical model and experimental results. The new phenomenon and formation mechanism of alumina-agglomerated ring could be important to high-Al steel metallurgy.