This project is related to high temperature reaction kinetics and thermodynamics of the basic oxygen steelmaking process. It focuses on the modeling of rates of decarburization, dephosphorization and desulfurization during the refining of steel by using a combination of experimental and mathematical modeling techniques. This work also involve analysis of slag and metal samples from industrial steelmaking trials. The current work is on dephosphorization kinetics of bloated metal droplets reacted with oxidizing slag.
My project pertains to modelling of Oxygen steelmaking furnace. A high temperature environment and multiple reactions occurring in different reaction zones increase the challenges in modelling this system. This has led to adoption of varying simplifying assumptions in previous works, but a need for a more accurate description of system and predictions still persists.
The major objective of this project involves the incorporation of new experimental kinetics knowledge of various refining reactions into a model. This would lead to a mechanistic description metal droplet behavior in emulsion and oxidation of metal at impact zone. Eventually this understanding will improve the attainment of the target compositions and temperatures of steel, in optimum processing time