Viscosity-structure correlation in CaF2-free CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MnO fluxes developed for submerged arc welding

Thermo-physical properties of selected CaO-SiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 -MnO formulations, developed as potential fluoride-free alternatives to conventional CaF 2 -containing submerged arc welding (SAW) fluxes, were characterised and compared with that of commercial prototypes of SAW fluxes. Structural features of the molten flux were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT--IR) and Raman spectroscopy techniques. At the same time, viscosity measurements were carried out over the temperature range