Laboratory study on the effect of ladle well block materials on the sintering of filler sands

To understand the effect of the materials of ladle well blocks on the sintering of different filler sands, Al 2 O 3 and MgO crucibles were employed to simulate the sintering behaviors of zircon- and chromite-based ladle filler sands in different well blocks in laboratory. The results showed that the materials of well blocks participated in the sintering of the filler sands. In the case of zircon-based filler sands, MgO crucible significantly intensified the sintering by a notable increase in MgO content within the liquid phase in the sintered sands; in contrast, the Al 2 O 3 crucible had only a minor effect. In terms of chromite-based sands, the MgO crucible also exerted a stronger influence on sintering, while liquid steel further amplified the difference between the two crucibles. According to this study, Al 2 O 3 appears to outperform MgO, but industrial trials are still required for verification.