Publications by authors named "Tomasz Merder"

The study involved measurements of surface tension of liquid binary copper-titanium alloys with respect to their chemical composition and temperature as well as investigations of the liquid alloy-refractory material-gaseous phase system wettability using usual refractory materials, i.e., graphite, aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide.

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  • The research focused on enhancing the refining and homogenization process of liquid Fe-Si ferroalloy using a water model of a refining ladle, specifically by implementing a gas blowing technique through nozzles at the ladle's bottom.
  • The study involved a physically scaled model of a 3 m ladle, using a gas flow rate of 26.8 l/min, exploring both combined blowing and the use of a purging plug to optimize the process.
  • Laboratory tests led to the selection of a successful gas flow variant, which was later confirmed to improve the refining efficiency in industrial conditions by effectively reducing the carbon and aluminum content in the FeSi alloy.
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The article focuses on the issue of improving the efficiency of a Foundry Degassing Unit (FDU) via operational testing of aluminium alloys during casting at MOTOR JIKOV Slévárna a.s..

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  • * The research presents a new gas injection module that improves the dispersion of alloy additives in liquid steel compared to traditional porous plugs used in steelmaking ladles.
  • * This innovative module features unique geometric and structural properties, resulting in enhanced liquid steel refining and mixing processes.
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This paper presents the results of studies on the occurrence of transient disturbances in the hydrodynamic system of a tundish feeding area and their effect on the casting process. In addition, the effect of changes in the level of superheating of the molten steel fed to the tundish on the evolution of the hydrodynamic system was analyzed. The studies were conducted with the use of a physical model of the tundish and a numerical model, representing the industrial conditions of the process of the continuous casting of steel.

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  • The study focuses on using physical modeling to explore how inert gas injection via rotors impacts the aluminum refining process, testing two distinctly designed industrial impellers.
  • Researchers varied key factors like gas flow rate, rotor speed, and rotor height, investigating their effects on the performance of both new and worn rotors.
  • Findings revealed that worn impellers were more effective at removing hydrogen from the liquid, and additional metallographic analysis was conducted to confirm the model test results based on industrial parameters.
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  • The article discusses the importance of sustainable methods for obtaining metallic materials, particularly aluminium and its alloys, to support environmental conservation and resource management.
  • It highlights a common refining technique that involves blowing inert gas into liquid aluminium using a rotating impeller, emphasizing the need for optimal flow rates and rotor speeds to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
  • The research presented involves physical modeling to identify the best ratios of inert gas flow rate to impeller speed, analyzing the dispersion of gas bubbles and the rate of oxygen removal in the refining process.
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This paper presents the results of tests on the suitability of designed heads (impellers) for aluminum refining. The research was carried out on a physical model of the URO-200, followed by numerical simulations in the FLOW 3D program. Four design variants of impellers were used in the study.

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The paper presents the results of tests carried out during the refining of the AlSi9Cu3(Fe) alloy in industrial conditions at the FDU stand. In the tests, three different rotors made of classical graphite, fine-grained graphite and classical graphite with SiC spraying were tested for the degree of wear. A series of tests was conducted for five cases-0% to 100% of consumption every 25%-corresponding to the cycles of the refining process.

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Obtaining high-quality aluminum is associated with the use of an effective method of refining, which is argon-purging, in which gas bubbles are introduced into the liquid metal by means of rotary impellers. Various rotary impellers are used in the industry; however, if a newly designed impeller is constructed, it should be tested prior to industrial use. For this purpose, physical modeling is used, which enables the investigation of the phenomena occurring during refining and the selection of optimal processing parameters without costly research carried out in the industry.

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Continuous casting is one of the steel production stages, during which the improvement in the metallurgical purity of steel can be additionally affected by removing nonmetallic inclusions (NMIs). This can be achieved by means of various types of flow controllers, installed in the working space of the tundish. The change in the steel flow structure, caused by those flow controllers, should lead to an intensification of NMIs removal from the liquid metal to the slag.

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The influence of technological factors on the process of slag splashing was analyzed in the paper. The problems were solved in several stages using our own and commercial calculation programs and laboratory tests. Based on the performed calculations and simulations, factors affecting the slag splashing were determined.

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