Determination of the dissolution mechanism of Al2O3 in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 liquids using a combined experimental-numerical approach

Experimental results obtained from the in situ observation of the dissolution of spherical Al2O3 particles in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-containing melts at elevated temperatures are analyzed using a lattice Boltzmann dissolution model. Through a comparison of the experimental dissolution curve with analytical predictions and numerical simulations, the rate-limiting step is identified as diffusion control. Estimations of the effective binary diffusion coefficient are obtained, together with an estimate of the activation energy for the diffusion process.