Ladle Refractory – Slide Plate

Ladle Refractory – Slide Plate

Introduction of Slide Plate

Definition and Function: Ladle slide plate is a refractory component used to control the flow of molten steel in the ladle sliding mechanism during continuous casting production. Its main function is to accurately adjust the flow of molten steel from the ladle to the continuous casting tundish so that the inflow and outflow of molten steel are balanced, making the continuous casting operation easier to control.

Structural composition: It is generally composed of upper and lower slide plates. During operation, the upper slide plate is fixed and the flow is intercepted and throttled by the lower slide plate. There is an opening in the middle of the slide plate, which is named according to the size of the opening diameter and the style of the mechanism, such as C10, C30, B40, B60, etc.

Classification

According to the material process: there are aluminum zirconium carbon slide plates, zirconium slide plates, aluminum carbon slide plates, magnesium slide plates, metal bonded slide plates, high aluminum slide plates, etc. Among them, aluminum zirconium carbon skateboards are made of low expansion Al₂O₃-SiO₂-ZrO₂ raw materials, which are made of refractory materials with baddeleyite, mullite, corundum, etc. as the main crystal phase and carbon bonding as the characteristic. They have good heat shock resistance and corrosion resistance, and are the mainstream of skateboards used in large steel enterprises.

According to the firing method: there are high-temperature fired skateboards, medium-temperature fired skateboards, and unfired skateboards.

According to the molding method: there are full-material skateboards and composite skateboards. Domestic skateboards for ladles above 150t, skateboards for multiple continuous casting ladles, or steel mills with special steelmaking process requirements mostly use full-material skateboards. There are more steel mills that use composite skateboards for ladles below 150t, and most foreign steel mills use full-material skateboards.

Performance requirements

High temperature resistance: Able to withstand the high temperature of molten steel, maintain stable physical and chemical properties in an environment above 1500℃, and no softening, deformation or melting occurs.

High strength: It has sufficient strength to withstand the static pressure of molten steel and prevent rupture or damage under the pressure of molten steel.

Corrosion resistance: It has good resistance to erosion by molten steel and slag, reduces the size change and performance degradation of the slide plate caused by erosion, and prolongs the service life.

Thermal shock resistance: It can withstand rapid changes in temperature and does not produce cracks or peeling under the thermal shock of molten steel injection.

Oxidation resistance: It has good oxidation resistance in high temperature environment, preventing carbon and other components from being oxidized, resulting in reduced material strength and loose structure.

Low friction coefficient: The sliding surface must be very smooth, with a flatness of no more than 0.05mm, so that the upper and lower slide plates are in close contact, ensuring that there is no steel seepage during the pouring process, while reducing sliding resistance and ensuring the accuracy of molten steel flow control.

Application of slide plate

Application in ladle

Steel flow control: Through the relative sliding of the upper and lower slide plates, the flow rate of molten steel out of the ladle is accurately adjusted to meet the requirements of different steel grades and different casting processes, ensuring the stability of the continuous casting process and the quality of the ingot.

Improve production efficiency: Compared with the traditional stopper rod system, the sliding gate slide plate system has better controllability and reliability, which can achieve fast and efficient continuous casting production, improve the turnover speed of the ladle, and reduce production costs.

Adapt to the casting of various steel grades: For different steel grades, such as calm steel, high oxygen high manganese steel, calcium treated steel, etc., choose a slide plate of suitable material, which can effectively resist the erosion and scouring of molten steel and ensure the smooth progress of the casting process.

Application in special processes

Refining process coordination: In the process of molten steel refining, the slide plate can be used in conjunction with the refining equipment to achieve accurate addition and control of molten steel, improve the refining effect, and improve the quality of steel.

Multi-furnace continuous casting: For the multi-furnace continuous casting process, the slide plate is required to have a long service life and stable performance to ensure the accuracy and reliability of molten steel flow control during the pouring process of multiple furnaces, reduce the number of slide plate replacements, and improve production efficiency.