DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2020.v08i10.003

Pages: 321-329

Commercial continuous casting mould powders are complex oxides systems that also present different contents of C and fluorite (CaF2). The last compound is added to develop the adequate physical properties and heat extraction characteristics required during steel industrial production. However, at process conditions mould powders provokes complex gases emissions. These risks lead researchers to develop new mould powder compositions that meet not only the requirements for metallurgical functions but also to avoid problems of fluorinated gases emissions that means a risk to operator’s health and lead to corrosion problems of industrial equipment. In this sense, it is important to understand fluorinated gases formation mechanisms at process conditions and also to clarify the fluorine functions in order to evaluate possible replacement compounds alternatives. Undoubtedly, currently the development of fluorine free mould powders, marks a worldwide trend that accompanies the development of clean technologies. In this paper two mould powders, with and without fluorite (CaF2), are characterized considering physical properties behaviour at high temperature such as viscosity, fluidity and surface tension, crystallization tendency, gases emissions generation, applying different experimental tests and thermodynamic simulation using Fact Sage 8.0, in order to identify gases emissions mechanisms.