New design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging process
Abstract The process of blowing liquid steel with an inert gas plays a key role in secondary metallurgy. The required mechanism of forming a gas column can be obtained by using gas-permeable elements with an appropriate design and properties. The article presents a proposal to replace the previously...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07054-x |
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| author | Tomasz Merder Marek Warzecha Jacek Pieprzyca Piotr Warzecha Mariola Saternus Robert Wende Jerzy Witek Ladislav Socha |
| author_facet | Tomasz Merder Marek Warzecha Jacek Pieprzyca Piotr Warzecha Mariola Saternus Robert Wende Jerzy Witek Ladislav Socha |
| author_sort | Tomasz Merder |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The process of blowing liquid steel with an inert gas plays a key role in secondary metallurgy. The required mechanism of forming a gas column can be obtained by using gas-permeable elements with an appropriate design and properties. The article presents a proposal to replace the previously used design solution—a slot plug with a new design device, i.e. a gas-permeable slot-type module with an increased active surface equipped with a specified number of slots. The article presents the results of comparative tests of four design variants of these modules differing in the number and width of slots, carried out in terms of their suitability for industrial conditions. A series of tests were carried out using a water physical model of a ladle (scale 1:3.4) equipped with module models, which were supplemented with the results of CFD numerical simulations. The simulations were carried out for the hot metal-argon system (scale 1:1). Both research methods were mutually verified, achieving satisfactory compliance. Analysis of the test results allowed for the selection of the most advantageous variant, which was then tested in industrial conditions. The use of the module in industrial conditions allows for the reduction of argon consumption by approximately 12%, and the processing time at the ladle furnace station can be shortened by approximately 10%. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d8120552f404ced8b3136a04777fe79 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d8120552f404ced8b3136a04777fe792025-08-20T03:38:16ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115112010.1038/s41598-025-07054-xNew design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging processTomasz Merder0Marek Warzecha1Jacek Pieprzyca2Piotr Warzecha3Mariola Saternus4Robert Wende5Jerzy Witek6Ladislav Socha7Faculty of Materials Engineering, Silesian University of TechnologyFaculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of TechnologyFaculty of Materials Engineering, Silesian University of TechnologyFaculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of TechnologyFaculty of Materials Engineering, Silesian University of TechnologyCognor S.A. Branch of Ferrostal Łabędy in GliwiceCenter of Ceramics and Concrete, Łukasiewicz Research NetworkEnvironmental Research Department, Institute of Technology and Business in České BudějoviceAbstract The process of blowing liquid steel with an inert gas plays a key role in secondary metallurgy. The required mechanism of forming a gas column can be obtained by using gas-permeable elements with an appropriate design and properties. The article presents a proposal to replace the previously used design solution—a slot plug with a new design device, i.e. a gas-permeable slot-type module with an increased active surface equipped with a specified number of slots. The article presents the results of comparative tests of four design variants of these modules differing in the number and width of slots, carried out in terms of their suitability for industrial conditions. A series of tests were carried out using a water physical model of a ladle (scale 1:3.4) equipped with module models, which were supplemented with the results of CFD numerical simulations. The simulations were carried out for the hot metal-argon system (scale 1:1). Both research methods were mutually verified, achieving satisfactory compliance. Analysis of the test results allowed for the selection of the most advantageous variant, which was then tested in industrial conditions. The use of the module in industrial conditions allows for the reduction of argon consumption by approximately 12%, and the processing time at the ladle furnace station can be shortened by approximately 10%.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07054-xMetallurgySteelLadle furnaceLadlePorous plugPhysical modeling |
| spellingShingle | Tomasz Merder Marek Warzecha Jacek Pieprzyca Piotr Warzecha Mariola Saternus Robert Wende Jerzy Witek Ladislav Socha New design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging process Scientific Reports Metallurgy Steel Ladle furnace Ladle Porous plug Physical modeling |
| title | New design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging process |
| title_full | New design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging process |
| title_fullStr | New design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging process |
| title_full_unstemmed | New design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging process |
| title_short | New design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging process |
| title_sort | new design solution for porous plug in the argon steel purging process |
| topic | Metallurgy Steel Ladle furnace Ladle Porous plug Physical modeling |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07054-x |
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