Thermodynamic substantiation of compositions of silicon aluminium alloys with increased aluminium content in Fe-Si-Al system

Abstract

A priority direction of ferrous metallurgy development is to increase in output of the high quality metal and metal products of new assortment. One of the methods to improve a quality of steels is to involve of complex alloys based on aluminum, silicon, manganese, etc. for their output. They are necessary as deoxidizing agents and alloying additives. This paper considers the possibility of the thermodynamic substantiation of the aluminum solubility in the ferrosilicon-aluminum complex alloy (FeSiAl) on the basis of their phase diagrams using the osmotic coefficient of the Bjerrum-Guggenheim. Methodology used is based on the theoretical studies of the phase equilibria using the Bjerrum-Guggenheim concept. It includes a set of computer programs in C# language (C sharp) designed to evaluate a deviation scope of properties of a real system from the ideal one. Criterion for evaluation is an osmotic coefficient of the Bjerrum-Guggenheim. The pattern of change in an osmotic coefficient of the Bjerrum-Guggenheim on the ratio of activity of components in the ideal liquid and solid phases (positive Фi <1 or negative Фi >1) under the boundary forming conditions of crystallization regions of phases related to the melting ferrosilicon-aluminum processes is a direct proof of the possibility to use it as a metal reducing agent. The calculated mathematical dependences of the osmotic coefficient of the Bjerrum-Guggenheim permit us to determine the crystallization temperature of the ferrosilicon-aluminum alloy. The alloying process with rich aluminum content is observed at this temperature. The dependence diagrams of an osmotic coefficient of the Bjerrum-Guggenheim of a crystallizing component on the ratio of its activity in the liquid and solid phases demonstrated that a temperature rise leads to strong negative deviations in silicon properties, and thus to its good mixability in the melt with iron and aluminum. Compositions of silicon-aluminum alloys with high aluminum content in the ferrosilicon-aluminum complex alloy (FeSiAl) were determined on the basis of their phase diagrams using the osmotic coefficient of the Bjerrum-Guggenheim with iron content of 12-37%, aluminum 20-25% and silicon 68-38%. The received theoretical results permit to determine conditions which give the maximum possible aluminum assimilation with the ferrosilicon-aluminum melts supplied from the high-ash coal in the melting process of this metal in the ore-thermal furnaces. Thus it is a direct method to develop the output technology of the complex alloys.