The Influence of the Impeller Shape on Hydrogen Removal from Liquid Aluminium - Physical Model

Abstract:

Today the barbotage process is commonly used for refining aluminium and its alloys. There are many refining reactors available all over the world. The refining gas can be introduced to the liquid metal by nozzles, ceramic porous plugs and rotary impellers. The last ones become the most popular. The shape of impellers is different and influences the level of gas dispersion in the liquid metal. Physical modelling is quite often used for modelling the aluminium barbotage process. In this way it is possible to observe the phenomena that take place in the whole process. Results obtained from this kind of research can be representative and transformed to real conditions if the test stand is built according to the theory of similarity. The test stand was built for modelling the refining process in the URO-200 reactor. Three different shapes of impellers were tested. The processing parameters like the flow rate of refining gas and the impeller rotary speed changed in the range from 5 to 15 dm³/min and from 0 to 500 rpm respectively. Additionally the research of oxygen removal from water was carried out as an analogy of hydrogen removal from liquid aluminium. The level of oxygen was measured by means of oxygen meter Elmetron CO-401. The obtained results were discussed and graphically presented.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volumes 706-709)
• Pages: 1515-1520
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.706-709.1515
• Online since: January 2012
• Authors: Mariola Saternus
• Keywords: Aluminium Refining, Barbotage, Hydrogen Removal from Liquid Aluminium, Physical Modeling

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