<Original Papers>Kinetics of Deoxidation of Liquid Iron with Titanium

The kinetic process of dexodiation of liquid iron with titanium was investigated. Heat experiments were carried out in a graphite resistance furance. The chemical reaction of deoxidation of titanium proceeded so rapidly that inclusions were stabilized in composition immediately after titanium addition. Inclusions assumed a spherical form at [Ti]=0.04～0.05% and aggregated into clusters at 0.1% were identified in the former case and Ti_2O_3 in the latter case. When spherical inclusions precipitated, deoxidation process was determined by floating of inclusions which did not coalesce on the floating way in metal and removal of inclusions was relatively inactive. When inclusions precipitated into clusters, deoxidation runs deviated from ones calculated on the basis of the initial size (Stokes diameter) distributions of inclusions and Stokes low to faster side and removal of inclusions was accelerated. These deviations were considered to be due to coalescence of inclusions on the floating way in metal. Therefore, the amount of titanium to be added should be decided as inclusions precipitate into clusters. For this purpose, it may be more than two times the stoichiometric amount corresponding to oxygen content in metal, taking titanium oxide as Ti_2O_3