Change in Phosphorus Partition during Blowing in a Commercial BOF

Basic oxygen steelmaking involves oxidation of solutes from hot metal and formation of liquid steel with low residuals (>99% Fe). The continuous change in the chemical composition and temperature of the BOF slag is commonly termed as "slag path". The physico-chemical characteristics and the thermodynamic driving force for any refining reaction depend on the chemical composition and temperature of the slag and metal phases, at any instant of time. Knowledge of the slag path is therefore essential for predicting the refining capacity of the BOF slag. Improper slag path can, in addition to insufficient refining, also lead to operational problems like slopping or lance skull formation.