Effect of slag composition on the cleanliness of 28MnCr5 gear steel in the refining processes

The equilibrium reaction between CaO—Al₂O₃—SiO₂—MgO slag and 28MnCr5 molten steel was calculated to obtain the suitable slag composition which is effective for decreasing the oxygen content in molten steel. The dissolved oxygen content O] in molten steel under different top slag conditions was calculated using a thermodynamic model and was measured using an electromotive force method in slag–steel equilibrium experiments at 1873 K. The relations among O], the total oxygen content (T.O), and the composition of the slag were investigated. The experimental results show that both O] and T.O decrease with decreasing SiO₂ content of the slag and exhibit different trends with the changes in the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio of the slag. Increasing the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio results in a decrease in O] and an increase in T.O. To ensure that T.O ≤ 20 ppm and O] ≤ 10 ppm, the SiO₂ content should be controlled to <5wt%, and the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio should be in the range from 1.2 to 1.6.