X-Ray Diffraction and Sem/Edx Studies on Technological Evolution of the Oxide-Fluoride Ceramic Flux for Submerged Arc-Surfacing
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Journal of J. Min. Metall. Sect. B-Metall. 48 (1) B (2012) 101 - 113 Mining and Metallurgy X-RAY DIFFRACTION AND SEM/EDX STUDIES ON TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF THE OXIDE-FLUORIDE CERAMIC FLUX FOR SUBMERGED ARC-SURFACING V.E. Sokolsky *,# , A.S. Roik *, A.V. Davidenko *, V.P. Kazimirov *, V.V. Lisnyak *,# , V.I. Galinich ** , I.A. Goncharov ** *Physical Chemistry Chair, Chemical Department, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, Kyiv, Ukraine ** The E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine (Received 23 December 2010; accepted 14 July 2011) Abstract The ceramic flux for submerged arc-surfacing with main component composition MgO (10.0 wt. %)–Al 2O3 (25.0 wt. %)–SiO 2 (40.0 wt. %)–CaF 2 (25.0 wt. %) was prepared in a disk dryer-granulator using a sodium/potassium silicate solution as a binder. X -ray powder diffraction (XRPD) collected at r.t. identified α- phase of quartz, Al 2O3, MgO and CaF 2 of the initial components in the samples taken after granulation and subsequent annealing at 600 °C. In contrast to the low temperature annealing, anorthite (CaAl 2Si 2O8) is the main phase in the composition of the samples remelted at 1500 °C and quenched subsequently. Chemical analysis performed by means of s canning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis ( SEM/EDX) detects that the grains of the remelted samples possess the same Ca : Al : Si elemental ratio as anorthite. High temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) was used to examine structural transformation in the solid at 600 °C < T < 1200 °C and stages of thermal evolution of ceramic flux were determined . The ceramic flux melts completely at the temperature above 1350 °C. The intensity pattern of the flux melt was obtained by X-ray diffraction of scattered X-rays at 1450 °C. After calculating the structure factor (SF), the radial distribution function (RDF) was evaluated and used to calculate the structural basicity of the flux melt . Keywords: Ceramic flux; S ubmerged arc -surfacing ; Structure; S canning electron microscopy, Energy- dispersive X-ray spectroscopy; High-temperature X-ray diffraction; Anorthite # Corresponding author: [email protected] (V.E.Sokolsky) and [email protected] (V.V. Lisnyak) DOI:10.2298/JMMB101223002S 102 V.E. Sokolsky / JMM 48 (1) B (2012) 101 - 113 1. Introduction fluxes, is closely related to the most recent studies devoted to the thermal degradation The submerged-arc surfacing (SAS) due [10 ] and to the effect of the fluxing to its operational facilities is widely used components on the liquidus and phase efficient technique of depositing a layer of relations of the fluxes [ 11 ]. material onto the surface of a steel to make it more resistant to wear, corrosion or high 2. Experimental temperature treatment [ 1–4 ]. Also strengthening of material surface can be 2.1. Preparation achieved by electric arc overlaying; this process enables to obtain thick layers of The preset quantities of powdered main various composition and properties on the components (10% mass. MgO, 25% mass. surface of the structural parts. This enhances Al 2O3, 40% mass. SiO 2 and 25% mass. production economies by enabling the use of CaF 2) were mixed mechanically. A a cheaper, more easily workable parent sodium/potassium silicate solution (so-called material coated with expensive metals and liquid glass), with a dry content of 40-60%, alloys to achieve desired characteristics. The used as a binder, was continuously supplied granulated ceramic flux partially or to the disk dryer-granulator. The grains were completely melts and generates a liquid sifted through sieves and annealed at 600 °C. protective slag layer, which is solidified The prepared granulated and annealed subsequently [ 5–7 ]. The fluxes that originate powder ceramic flux was remelted at 1500 the slag can be classified by chemical oC in Mo crucible and the samples taken activity of the interaction with the surfaced from the upper and the inner parts of the metal using the basicity parameter [ 8, 9]. crucible were subjected to the further Among known fluxes for SAS the oxide- examinations. fluoride ceramic fused fluxes are widely used in Ukraine for the surfacing of metal at 2.2. Characterization metalwork production. However, processes, which occur at heating and melting of flux, The room temperature X-ray powder are practically beyond of comprehensive diffraction (XRPD) data of the granulated examination. and dried samples of the flux as well as the The main objective of this work is to remelted samples taken from the upper and study the technological evolution of the the inner parts of the Mo crucible were oxide-fluoride ceramic flux using scanning collected by means of a DRON-3M powder electron microscopy with energy- dispersive diffractometer using Ni-filtered CuK α- X-ray spectroscopy analysis (SEM/EDX) radiation ( λ = 1.5418 Å, U = 30 kV, I = and X-ray diffraction. Emphasis is given to 30mA). The data were scanned over the the ceramic flux transformation at heating . angular range 10–100°(2 θ) with a step size The examination of thermal evolution of of 0.02°(2 θ) and a counting time of 1 sec. oxides, which are included in the ceramic PowderCell 2.4 software package [ 12 , 13 ] V.E. Sokolsky / JMM 48 (1) B (2012) 101 - 113 103 was used for the data evaluation. The phase Powdered sample of flux fixed on the identification and quantitative X-ray graphite substrate were examined with a Jeol diffraction phase analysis (QXRPD) were scanning electron microscope JSM 7700 F performed by using Match software [ 14 ]. (SEM) operating at 5 kV. An Oxford The high temperature X-ray diffraction spectrometer, attached to the 7700 F, was (HTXRD) studies were performed to used for energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) examine the thermal evolution of the oxide- microanalysis. To prevent charges caused by fluoride ceramic flux. X-ray patterns have the electron beam in the low conductive solid been obtained using a high-temperature θ–θ flux samples, 3 nm thick layer of pure diffractometer operated with MoK α platinum was sputtered on the surface of the radiation ( λ = 0.7107 Å). The Zr–Y samples. The total chemical composition of differential filters were used for ceramic flux mixture after annealing at 600 monochromatization of X-ray radiation, °C was determined by X-rays fluorescence which was reflected from the horizontal spectrometry (XRF) with a Philips X’Unique surface of solid powdered oxide-fluoride II (model 1480) wavelength-dispersive XRF ceramic flux or from the free surface of the spectrometer. The spectrometer was liquid oxide-fluoride ceramic flux. The equipped with a rhodium X-ray tube, sample in the molybdenum crucible was operated at 50 kV and 40 mA. situated on the desktop of the high-vacuum chamber of the diffractometer. Before the 3. Results and Discussion sample was heated to the experimental temperature by a special resistant heater the 3.1. Characterization of granulated and chamber inner volume was vacuumized and annealed powder ceramic flux filled with pure helium. Measurements and control of temperature was performed using The theoretical content of components in thermopiles with an uncertainty of the mixture for preparation of the ceramic measurement of less than ±3 K at the 95% flux and the experimental content of confidence level. The intensity patterns were components in the obtained annealed recorded at temperatures of 600, 800, 1000, mixture, by the XRF data, were listed in 1200, 1350 and 1450 °C. The apparatus, Table 1. measurement and calculation routines were The initial components alpha quartz, reported in [ 15 ]. trigonal phase of Al 2O3, cubic MgO and Table 1. Composition of ceramic flux. Composition, mass. % MgO Al 2O3 SiO 2 CaF 2 Na 2OK2O Fe 2O3* Calc. 10 25 40 25 Found 8.9 22.6 42 21.9 1.4 0.8 1.4 Note: * corresponds to the content of Fe 2O3 admixture 104 V.E. Sokolsky / JMM 48 (1) B (2012) 101 - 113 CaF 2 phases were determined by XRPD in 2. The SEM microphotos of the samples the samples after granulation and annealing were taken from the upper and from the inner at 600 °C (Fig. 1) and no other crystalline part of the molybdenum crucible differ products including that based on the liquid significantly. Blisters, where gas bubbles glass were found [ 16 , 17 ]. accumulate, micro-cracks etc . are clearly seen on the SEM microphotos. These features testify on a good separation of the slag coverage from the inner part of the crucible. The samples are inhomogeneous with respect to fluorine content, the latter concentrate at the inner part of the crucible. The fluorine content can be more than 7 at. %, if one omit the amount of fluorine in the blisters ( Table 2, micro photo 1–2), the upper part contains less fluorine c.a. 0.99 –3.50 at. % ( Table 2, micro photo 3–4). It can be seen also bright blotches ( Table 2, microphoto 1, Fig. 1. Experimental powder diffraction spectra 3–4; micro photo 2, spectrum 3) pattern of powdered ceramic flux and containing a considerable amount of summarized curve fitted with Powdercell (a). fluoride, but the surface area of these The fit is based on the reflections of α- quartz particles is negligible. (SiO 2) (b), corundum Al 2O3 (c), periclaz MgO It should be pointed the fact (Table 2, (d) and fluorite CaF 2 (e) phases. microphoto 1, spectrum 2; microphoto 2, spectra 1, 2, 4 and microphoto 3–4 all According to the results of the EDX/SEM spectra) that the approximate ratio of microanalysis, performed on the powdered components in the majority of analysis is Ca samples, it was found that composition of the : Al : Si = 1 : 2 : 2, the latter corresponds to main phases is equal to that of the initial Ca(Al 2Si 2O8) anorthite .