Copper Elimination from the Molten Steel by Addition of Hydronitrogens

A novel method has been proposed to remove copper from molten steel by adding the compounds of hydrogen and nitrogen into the melt at normal pressure. Feasibility experiments were carried out in Mo-wire resistance furnace at 1600℃. The copper content of about 400 g 45 steel were reduced from 0.60% and 0.57% to 0.41% and 0.51% with 3.25g and 1.20 g NH₄Cl respectively, while the copper contents of about 300 g steel melt were reduced from 1.15% and 0.61% to 0.90% and 0.56% with 4.10 g and 2.00 g NH₂CONH₂. These results indicate that the proposed method is very promising to be put into practical and worthwhile of further study.