Infiltration Phenomena of Molten Powder in Continuous Casting Derived from Analysis Using Reynolds Equation. Part 1: Steady Analysis

A new type of model for powder infiltration in the continuous casting process of steel is introduced. In the model, Reynolds equation is used as a fundamental equation and the distance between a mold and a cast metal is supposed to be variable. It is clarified that when the gap between the mold and the cast metal widens downward, many behaviors about the powder infiltration can be explained with using the model. Therefore, it is presumed that the shape of the mold/cast metal gap being wider downward is important to the powder infiltration. From the stationary analysis in this shape of the gap, it is obtained that without the mold oscillation the gap between the mold and the cast metal closes, which means that casting is impossible unless the mold oscillates. Furthermore it is obtained that although the gap closes during the mold descending, the gap opens during the mold ascending. However the powder infiltration does not occur because the powder also ascends as the mold ascends. From the above, it is presumed that the powder infiltration is unsteady phenomena. In the following report, the powder infiltration phenomena are analyzed with an unsteady model.