CFD study on the effect of the oxygen lance inclination angle on the decarburization kinetics of liquid steel in the EAF

In Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking the main chemical reaction is the decarburization reaction. This reaction is promoted by the injection of oxygen using supersonic or coherent jets and further chemical reaction with dissolved carbon in liquid steel at high temperatures. A 3D mathematical model to describe the effect of the injection angle, oxygen gas flow rate and number of lances on the decarburization kinetics of molten steel, in the absence of the top slag layer has been developed. The model has been validated using experimental data reported in the literature. The model shows that the decarburization kinetics is promoted by decreasing the injection angle from the horizontal, condition that improves both bath movement and reaction kinetics. These findings suggest that current injection angles in industrial EAF’s can be decreased in order to improve the decarburization rate. The main mechanism is the effect of the gas jet on the motion of the liquid. Taking into consideration that decreasing the injection angle from the horizontal promotes splashing, the numerical model predictions are employed to suggest alternative solutions in order to reach high decarburization rates.