Effects of Interfacial Properties betwee

The effects of interfacial properties such as interfacial tension and wettability on the adhesion, agglomeration, and coalescence of inclusions on the immersion nozzle in a continuous casting process have not been quantitatively evaluated yet. This study focuses on the neck growth of alumina balls during sintering, given that the adhesion, agglomeration, and coalescence of inclusions are considered the results of oxide sintering. The research compares the neck growth of alumina balls in molten iron to that in an Ar gas atmosphere to elucidate the effects of interfacial properties between alumina balls and molten iron. Results reveal that neck growth in molten iron occurs significantly faster than in an Ar gas atmosphere. Furthermore, an equation for neck growth of alumina balls in molten iron was derived by assessing interfacial properties, specifically interfacial tension and wettability. Calculated outcomes, which took into account capillary phenomena of molten iron at the gaps between alumina balls as influenced by wettability, showed a reasonable agreement with experimental data. These findings indicate that the non-wetting characteristics of molten iron toward alumina balls facilitate their neck growth during sintering in molten iron.