Effect of Exogenous Refractory Nanoparticles on Copper Removal from Iron Melts and the Influence of the Nanoparticles on the Capillary Properties of the Metal

The thermodynamic calculations on the dissociation of the compounds, copper evaporation processes, and literature data on metal–ceramic wetting are used to substantiate the choice of refractory nanophases. The reactions of the Al₂O₃ and MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles with the surfactant (copper) in the model Fe‒Cu melts and alloyed steel are studied. The maximum degree of Cu removal is found to be 24 rel. % in the Fe–Cu system and 23 rel. % in the 12Kh18N10T steel, depending on the residence time of the nanoparticles in the melt. The capillary properties are studied by the sessile drop method. The introduction of the nanoparticles into the Fe–Cu melt is shown to result in the inversion of the ∂σ/∂T coefficient and density compression as compared to those for pure iron.