This study presents a novel in situ high-temperature fiber optic Raman probe that enables the study of the physical properties and structure of molten samples at temperatures up to 1400 °C. To demonstrate the functionality of the high-temperature fiber optic Raman probe, different composition mold fluxes were evaluated in this report. The Raman spectra at flux molten temperature were successfully collected and analyzed. A deconvolution algorithm was employed to identify peaks in the spectra associated with the molecular structure of the components in each sample. The experimental results demonstrate that the composition-dependent Raman signal shift can be detected at high temperatures, indicating that molten materials analysis using a high-temperature Raman system shows significant promise. This flexible and reliable high-temperature Raman measurement method has great potential for various applications, such as materials development, composition and structure monitoring during high-temperature processing, chemical identification, and process monitoring in industrial production.
The continuous casting process for steel production utilizes specially designed oxyfluoride glasses (mold fluxes) to lubricate the mold and control the steel solidification process. The composition of the flux controls important properties, such as viscosity, basicity, and crystallization rate, which in turn influences the quality of the as-cast product. However, these fluxes also interact with the steel during casting, causing chemistry shifts that must be anticipated in the design of the flux.
Today, the in-service chemistry of the flux must be determined by taking flux samples from the mold during casting and then processing the samples off-line to determine chemistry and other physical properties, such as viscosity. Raman spectroscopy provides an alternative method for flux analysis, with the possibility of performing direct on-line analysis during casting. Raman spectroscopy has the unique ability to identify specific molecules through well-resolved vibrational bands that provide fingerprint signatures of the structure of the molecules. Specific peaks in the Raman spectra can be correlated with flux chemistry and viscosity.
The work reported here aims to assess the structure and chemical composition of flux samples at high temperatures using fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy. Results from Raman spectral analyses captured the 1300 °C for a range of flux chemistries are presented. The experimental results demonstrate that the composition-dependent Raman signal shift can be detected at high temperatures and that on-line flux analysis using a high-temperature Raman system shows significant promise.
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