Interfacial Convection and Mass Transport in Thin Liquid Layer

Investigations into the phenomenology of convection flows next to the interface between two liquids have been carried out in laboratory experiments using various liquids. Then convection flows have been observed in industrial tests during continuous casting. The results show that the motional velocity of volume elements next to the interface due to disturbances of interfacial tension (produced by mass and charge transfer) depends on liquid layer thickness and on liquid properties. A new dimensionless number is introduced to describe this manner of convective flow; it is also suitable for evaluation of experimental results. Furthermore, a dimensionless function is theoretically developed to describe the relation between convective flows near the interface in the slag layer and mass transport. Casting powders melt on the surface of the liquid metal forming a liquid slag layer. Samples taken during casting have revealed convective flows in the flux layer and mass exchange with the liquid metal. Coefficients of the developed dimensionless function have been determined empirically for Ti‐transport from the interface into the flux layer.