EUROPEAN CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND PROCESSES - EUROMAT 2021

Aluminum refining is a necessary technological stage of obtaining aluminum, both primary and secondary. Currently, refining is widely used by blowing liquid metal with an inert gas using a rotor terminated with a impeller that generates fine gas bubbles which, when introduced into the bath, bring up to the surface hydrogen and non-metallic inclusions. The paper presents the results of mathematical modeling with the use of the Engh and Sigworth equation. The optimal time of refining was calculated and it was found whether the process was determined by diffusion. The further stage of research includes tests of selected impellers on a physical model in order to select the optimal processing parameters. RTD curves were determined. The results of physical modeling were verified by numerical simulations conducted for the same process conditions: gas flow rate 5-25 l/min and rotor speed 200-600 rpm.