A New Silicon Sensor for Hot Metal Measurements

Abstract

In the present study, an electrochemical sensor has been designed for the direct measurement of silicon content in hot metal. The sensor represents a galvanic silicon concentration cell of the type Nisat—Si(1) II silicate electrolyte (1) II Fe—C—Si(1) The tubular silica-glass sensor can be immediately immersed into the metal bath at a response time of 30 to 60 s. A reproducible EMF vs. wt.% Si relationship was obtained for measurements in carbon-saturated Fe—C—Si melts at 1400°C and Si contents from 0.05 to 1.8 wt.%. This relationship is nearly identical with the cell function calculated from thermodynamic data.