J. JACKOWSKI*, M. SUCHORA-KOZAKIEWICZ*,# Assessment of usAbIlIty of molten sAlt mIxtures In metAllurgy of AlumInum Alloys And recyclIng of composIte mAterIAls bAsed on the mAtrIx of Al Alloys

Two liquid phases: molton metal (or alloy) and slag occur in most metallurgical systems. The slag occurring at the surface of the metal bath not only protects it against negative atmospheric effects but also enables to make many treatments necessary to achieve good quality of the material designed for shaping the casted products. In the conditions of fully controlled process (e.g. melting or refining) the slag existing at the surface of liquid alloy is formed of molten slag-forming substances called fluxing agents. The fluxing agent used for purposes of metallurgical process is usually a mixture of chemical compounds that gets a single-phase liquid form in the temperature usually below the melting point of the processed metal or alloy. In case of e.g. refining flux the metallurgical system after the refining process includes a liquid refined alloy and liquid post-refining slag contaning substances transferred from refining metal bath. When the main aim of refining is to remove solid inclusions (e.g. oxides) from the metal bath, the process consists in emulsifying of the system (i.e. liquid metal – liquid slag), then the inclusions might be taken up by the liquid slag. The same mechanism occurs in recycling process of suspended composite materials, that consists in separation of the components and their conversion in the recycling system, i.e. transmission of solid phase particles from the suspension state in liquid metal matrix to suspension in so-called liquid recycling medium obtained in result of melting of the salt mixture. The fluxing agents used in melting and refining of aluminum alloys should allow to obtain the slag which ensures [1,2,3]: • permanent adsorption of solid inclusions suspended in metal bath to interphase surface between liquid metal and liquid slag; • permanent adsorption of the inclusions to the slag, i.e. their passage through the interphase liquid metal – liquid slag surface; • impeded emulsification of the system, i.e. the slag drops should remain in metal bath or metal drops in liquid slag. The same conditions should be fulfilled by recycling media in the recycling processes of suspended composite materials. In case of emulsified systems of liquid phases composed of a refined metal (or recycled composite suspension) and slag A R C H I V E S O F M E T A L L U R G Y A N D M A T E R I A L S