Aluminum Calcium Balls, as a composite material, are widely used in the steelmaking process as both a deoxidizer and desulfurizer. Particularly in the production of low-silicon steel or clean steel, they replace traditional single-function products like pure aluminum and calcium silicide alloys, offering significant technological and economic advantages.
Product Specifications and Performance of Aluminum Calcium Balls
Aluminum Calcium Balls are mainly divided into two specifications:
1. Cost-effective Type: Suitable for medium to low carbon steel or steel grades that require stringent sulfur content control. Its high CaO content helps remove sulfur from molten steel and improves the morphology of inclusions.
2. High-performance Type: Although more expensive, its higher metal aluminum content makes it excellent for rapid deoxidation, especially suitable for high-end steel grades such as low-oxygen or ultra-low-oxygen steels.
Key characteristics of Aluminum Calcium Balls include:
- Uniform chemical composition with a low melting point around 1365°C, quick melting speed, reducing smelting time.
- Fluorine-free, does not erode furnace linings or ladles.
- Dense structure, non-hygroscopic, easy to store and transport.
- Stable phase, fast slag formation, reduces dust pollution in steel plants, and stabilizes refining processes.
- Free from hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, and other impurities, improving steel quality.
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Application Examples and Effects of Aluminum Calcium Balls
In practical applications, Aluminum Calcium Balls exhibit excellent deoxidation and desulfurization capabilities. For instance, adding Aluminum Calcium Balls after converter steel tapping can significantly reduce FeO+MnO content in ladle slag from approximately 25% to below 15%, which not only enhances the purity of molten steel but also creates better conditions for subsequent RH furnace refining. Furthermore, it enhances the absorption capacity of inclusions by the ladle, further improving the quality of molten steel.
Advantages Over Traditional Materials of Aluminum Calcium Balls
Aluminum Calcium Balls can effectively replace traditional materials such as pure aluminum-based deoxidizers, calcium silicide alloys, pure calcium wires, and limestone, providing more efficient deoxidation, desulfurization, and inclusion modification. Compared to pure aluminum, Aluminum Calcium Balls achieve more effective deoxidation and partial desulfurization through the synergistic effect of aluminum and calcium.
Specifically of Aluminum Calcium Balls:
- Pure aluminum tends to lead to more oxide inclusions and is less effective at desulfurization; Aluminum Calcium Balls provide more effective deoxidation and partial desulfurization through the synergy of aluminum and calcium.
- Calcium silicide alloys may introduce additional silicon elements due to their silicon content, affecting the production of some low-silicon steel grades; Aluminum Calcium Balls contain ≥30% CaO and ≤6% Si, offering good desulfurization, inclusion modification, and impurity reduction properties.
- Pure calcium wire is primarily used for calcium treatment to improve the morphology of inclusions in molten steel but has limited deoxidation capability and requires special storage conditions; Aluminum Calcium Balls integrate deoxidation and calcium treatment, reducing process steps and enhancing storage stability.
Enhancement of Steelmaking Performance of Aluminum Calcium Balls
Using Aluminum Calcium Balls significantly boosts steelmaking efficiency and product quality, including but not limited to:
- Deoxidation Effect: Compared to pure aluminum deoxidation, total oxygen content can be reduced from 30-40 ppm to 15-20 ppm, reducing hard inclusions and enhancing the cleanliness of molten steel.
- Desulfurization Capability: Sulfur content can be reduced from 0.020% to 0.005%-0.008%, increasing desulfurization efficiency and reducing slag usage.
- Inclusion Modification: Average inclusion size decreases from 10-15 μm to 5-8 μm, reducing the total amount of non-metallic inclusions by about 25%-35%, improving casting performance and mechanical properties of steel.
Notably, LSFerroalloy, as the manufacturer of Aluminum Calcium Balls, has a stable monthly production capacity of up to 5000 tons, ensuring high-quality products and supply stability. The company is committed to providing top-quality Aluminum Calcium Balls to meet the demands of modern steelmaking industries, making it an ideal choice for steel mills pursuing economic benefits or requiring strict steel quality standards. Additionally, its production process is meticulously designed to ensure product stability and efficiency, fully catering to the needs of modern steelmaking industries.