Aluminum Particles — High-Purity Granular Deoxidation Media

Aluminum particles offer a versatile and efficient form of deoxidation media that bridges the gap between bulk aluminum ingots and fine aluminum powder. With a controlled particle size range of 3–15 mm and aluminum purity of 99.5%+, these granules dissolve rapidly in molten steel while remaining safe to handle and feed. The optimized particle sizing increases the effective surface area for the Al-O reaction by 5–10 times compared to equivalent-mass ingot additions, enabling complete deoxidation within 2–3 minutes of argon stirring rather than the 8–12 minutes typically required for ingot dissolution.

In EAF tapping practice, aluminum particles are often injected through a lance or added via alloy chutes during tap-to-ladle transfer. The turbulence of the tapping stream ensures rapid dispersion and dissolution, effectively killing the heat before the molten steel is exposed to atmospheric re-oxidation in the ladle. This pre-deoxidation step typically reduces dissolved oxygen from 400–800 ppm down to 50–100 ppm, creating the baseline conditions needed for subsequent precise aluminum trimming in the ladle furnace. The high aluminum recovery rate of 55–65% achievable with granular particles compares favorably to the 25–35% typical of loose ingot additions during tapping.

Safety and handling considerations are paramount in steelmaking environments, and our aluminum particles are specifically sized to eliminate the dust explosion hazard associated with aluminum powders while maintaining the rapid dissolution characteristics of fine material. The particles are produced through controlled atomization and screening processes, resulting in a consistently spherical morphology that promotes free-flowing behavior in automated dosing equipment. Each batch is tested for active aluminum content using hydrogen evolution methods, ensuring that surface oxidation has not compromised the effective deoxidation capacity.