Composite wire consisting of a steel core encased in an aluminum coating, designed for efficient and controlled deoxidation in ladle metallurgy. Combines the rigidity of steel with aluminum's deoxidation power for deep penetration and high recovery rates.
Steel core aluminum wire represents a significant advancement in deoxidation technology, engineered to overcome the fundamental challenge of delivering aluminum efficiently into molten steel. Pure aluminum, with a density of 2.7 g/cm3, naturally floats on molten steel (density ~7.0 g/cm3), leading to oxidation at the slag-metal interface and recovery rates as low as 20–30%. By encasing a steel core (density ~7.8 g/cm3) within an aluminum coating, this composite wire achieves an overall density that enables it to penetrate the slag layer and deliver aluminum directly into the steel bath, where recovery rates of 50–70% are routinely achieved.
The wire is fed through a guide tube at controlled speeds of 2–5 m/s using standard wire feeding equipment, allowing the aluminum to dissolve deep within the molten steel before rising to the surface. This controlled dissolution pattern ensures that the majority of the aluminum reacts with dissolved oxygen rather than atmospheric oxygen or slag components, making the process both chemically efficient and economically favorable. Steel mills producing deep-drawing quality (DDQ) and extra-deep-drawing quality (EDDQ) steel grades particularly benefit from the predictable aluminum recovery, which is essential for maintaining the tight aluminum specification windows (typically 0.020–0.050%) these grades demand.
In practical ladle furnace operations, steel core aluminum wire is typically used in conjunction with calcium treatment for inclusion modification. The aluminum first reduces dissolved oxygen to form alumina inclusions, and subsequent calcium treatment transforms these solid alumina particles into liquid calcium aluminate inclusions (12CaO·7Al2O3) that do not clog submerged entry nozzles during continuous casting. Our steel core aluminum wire is produced under strict quality controls, with uniform coating thickness and consistent mechanical properties to ensure jam-free feeding through wire injection systems.
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Pure aluminum wire in coil form, engineered for wire feeding systems in ladle metallurgy. Provides controlled, precise aluminum addition for deoxidation and alloying in steelmaking with high recovery rates and minimal dross generation.
Primary aluminum ingots with 99.7%+ purity, produced for steelmaking deoxidation and alloying applications. Available in standard 20 kg ingots, ensuring consistent quality and reliable performance in killing steel and controlling inclusion morphology.
Steel-sheathed cored wire for precise injection of alloy powders into molten steel in ladle metallurgy. Encapsulated alloy core materials ensure deep delivery below the slag layer for high recovery rates and accurate composition control.