Does the reactivity test for lime indicate how it will react in producing a slag in the electric arc furnace?
No. The reactivity test uses water to determine a rate of temperature rise within a given time period. This is useful for chemical applications and soil applications. However, in the high temperature chemistry reactions seen in the EAF there is very little correlation to the lime quality as related to the reactivity test. Important factors for lime are the sulfur content, silicon content, LOI and lime sizing. What makes lime go into solution quickly is the fluxing agents that react with lime in this environment. FeO is the primary fluxing agent with silicon and aluminum acting to help also flux lime.
