Effect of slag composition on iron nuggets formation from carbon composite pellets

Iron-carbon nuggets can be obtained by high temperature reduction of iron ore by carbonaceous material when both are agglomerated together as a carbon composite pellet. During this process, the stable oxides contained in the materials will form a slag. This work investigates the effect of this slag composition on iron nugget formation. Pellets were prepared with iron ore and two different carbonaceous materials. Through the addition of Portland® cement, silica and alumina the slag composition was varied to adjust the expected liquidus temperature to 1573 and 2273 K. It has been shown that the formation of iron nuggets is favored for slags presenting low liquidus temperature. In order to further investigate this phenomenon, pellets containing iron powder and carbonaceous material, together with previously prepared slags, were also submitted to high temperature, and it has been shown that iron carburization depends on slag composition.(FAPESP) São Paulo Research FoundationNational Research and Development Council of Brazil (CNPq

Study of carbothermic reduction of iron ore in the form of self-reducing pellets or mixtures in rotary kiln.

A finalidade deste trabalho é estudar a redução carbotérmica de minério hematítico com misturas e pelotas autorredutoras em um forno rotativo experimental. Trabalhou-se com duas temperaturas, a 1673 e 1773 K (1400 a 1500 °C), em fluxo de argônio de 1Nl/min, em um forno rotativo experimental aquecido por resistências, com uma rotação fixa de 5 rpm. Foram realizadas diversas experiências, alterando variáveis como a temperatura, composição e quantidade da escória, tipo de redutor, e tipo de conformação. Foi estudado o tempo de residência das pelotas e misturas autorredutoras dentro do forno e sua interrelação com a inclinação do mesmo. Mediu-se a resistência a compressão de diferentes composições de pelotas. Foi analisada a fração de redução atingida nas experiências com ajuda de um método indireto proposto neste trabalho, atingindo-se frações de redução acima de 98%. Especial atenção foi dada para os casos limites estudados, o primeiro com uma mistura autorredutora de 81% de minério hematítico de baixo teor, 19% de coque de petróleo,+10% cimento ARI, processada a 1773 K (1500 °C) com 33% de escória final, a qual, apesar da grande quantidade de escória, atingiu uma fração de redução de 98,7%; e o segundo, para uma mistura autorredutora de 43,5% de minério hematítico de baixo teor, 56,5% de pó de serragem, processada a 1773 K (1500 °C), a qual atingiu uma fração de redução de 99,2%, provando, com as ressalvas cabíveis, a factibilidade de reduzir diretamente com pó de serragem. Com base nas observações experimentais sugeriram-se modelos do processo de redução-fusão tanto das misturas como das pelotas autorredutoras no forno rotativo. Analisaram-se a composição da escória e a composição da fase metálica obtida. Para comparar o grau de coalescimento entre as amostras, foram levantadas as análises granulométricas de cada uma delas, comparando-se as porcentagens em massa dos nódulos de ferro-carbono com diâmetro superior a 7,93 mm. Atenção especial foi dada ao método de desagregação do produto; pela ausência de normas técnicas especificas para processos autorredutores, foi empregada uma adaptação do método de desagregação por tambor (ASTM E279-95), e validada por moagem manual. Estudou-se o efeito das variáveis: temperatura de processamento, temperatura liquidus da escória, da quantidade de escória de alta temperatura liquidus, da quantidade de voláteis do redutor, da quantidade do redutor, e da ausência de conformação. Entre os resultados destas experiências tem-se que a maior temperatura de processamento leva a maior grau de coalescimento. Na medida em que a escória do sistema não se liquefaz, o processo de coalescimento é prejudicado. Na medida em que a quantidade de escória com alta temperatura liquidus aumenta, o grau de coalescimento decresce. Ao se aumentar a quantidade do redutor acima do necessário para a correta redução, carburação e colaescimento, prejudica-se o processo de formação dos nódulos de ferro-carbono. Ao se comparar o grau de coalescimento obtido entre as misturas e as pelotas autorredutoras, temse que o desempenho das misturas autorredutoras é superior. Para aclarar o efeito da temperatura liquidus da escória no processo de carburação e coalescimento, foram realizadas experiências paralelas para estudar como a temperatura liquidus da escória e a ausência do FeO afetava o coalescimento. Ao estudar o transporte de carbono pelas escórias sem e com a presença de um óxido redutível, tem-se que o transporte do óxido de ferro na escória sem agitação é um fenômeno difusivo.The purpose of this work is to study the carbothermal reduction of hematite ore as self-reducing mixtures or pellets in an experimental rotary kiln. Two different temperatures were employed, 1673 and 1773 K (1400-1500 ° C) in an experimental rotary kiln heated by resistors, with a fixed rotation of 5 rpm and under an argon flow of 1Nl/min. Several experiments were performed by changing variables such as temperature, composition and quantity of slag, type of carbonaceous material, and type of conformation. The residence time inside the furnace and its interrelation with the slope of the kiln containing self-reducing pellets or mixtures was studied. It was measured the compressive strength of pellets of different compositions. It has been analyzed the fractional reduction achieved in the experiments with the help of an indirect method proposed in this work, reaching fractional reduction above 98%. Special attention was given to some cases, the first one with a self-reducing mixture of 81% low grade ore, 19% petroleum coke, ARI +10%, processed to 1773 K (1500 ° C) with 33% final slag, which despite the large amount of slag reached a fractional reduction of 98.7%, and the second for a self-reducing mixture of 43.5% low-grade ore, 56.5% of sawdust processed to 1773 K (1500 ° C) which reached a fractional reduction of 99.2%, proving, with reasonable exceptions, the feasibility of reducing directly with sawdust. Based on experimental observations, process models of both the reduction-melting of self-reducing mixtures and pellets in the rotary kiln were proposed. The composition of slag and composition of the metallic phase obtained were analyzed. To compare the degree of coalescence between the samples, particle size analysis of each one was performed, comparing the percentages by weight of iron-carbon nuggets with a diameter greater than 7.93 mm. Regarding the method of disintegration of the product, due to the lack of technical standards for specific self-reducing processes, the drum method (ASTM E279-95) was adapted and validated by manual grinding. It was studied the effect of the following parameters: processing temperature, slag liquidus temperature, the amount of high liquidus temperature slag, amount of volatile matter of the reducing agent, the amount of reducing agent, and the absence of conformation. These experiments have shown that the higher the processing temperature, the greater the degree of coalescence, and also that as long as the slag does not melt, the coalescence process is impaired. As the amount of slag with high liquidus temperature increases, the degree of coalescence decreases. Increasing the amount of carbonaceous material above to that necessary to reduction and carburization undermines the process of formation of iron-carbon nuggets. When comparing the degree of coalescence obtained between the self-reducing mixtures and pellets, it has been shown that the performance of self-reducing mixtures is superior. To clarify the effect of the slag liquidus temperature in the carburization and coarsening process, experiments were conducted to study how the liquidus temperature of the slag and the absence of FeO affected the coarsening. By studying the transport of carbon in slags with and without the presence of a reducible oxide, it has been shown that the transport of iron oxide in the slag without agitation is a diffusive phenomenon

The self-reducing pellet production from organic household waste

The organic household waste has a growing disposal problem, requiring costly disposal systems. It is necessary to find new applications for these materials; one could be the steelmaking raw material production. In this paper is studied the development of self-reducing pellets from the organic waste pyrolysis, where is generated carbon and condensable and non-condensable volatiles. Non-condensable volatiles were burned and condensable volatiles were recovered. The resulting tar was mixed with iron ore, coal powder and flux (CaO), to then be pelletized together. Compression, falls and tumbler tests were conducted to characterize the pellets before and after heat treatment and reduction processes. The reduction curve and their physical and morphological characterization were measured. The results were as was expected, the fluidized coal create sufficient adhesion that pellets earned resistance with an equivalent resistance of common pellets, showing a good feasibility of this process

High carbon ferro-chromium by self-reducing process: Fundamentals

Fe-Cr-C production is a very high electrical energy consuming process. When self-reducing agglomerates are used,it is expected to reduce up to 10% of this electrical energy. This paper presents the fundamental aspects of the reactions involved for reduction of chromites from self-reducing agglomerates. Brazilian chromite containing 41.2%Cr2O3 was mixed with petroleum coke and agglomerated with cement as the binder. The concept of “initial slag” was introduced and it was assumed that this “initial slag” is formed by fluxing agents, coke ash, silica, binder and only dissolution of 5% of the gangue from the chromite. This concept is important since the gangue of chromite is composed mainly of refractory oxides (MgO+Al2O3), which are difficult to dissolve into slag. The effects of “initial slag” composition, one with low liquidus temperature(~1700K) and other with high liquidus temperature (~1750K) were investigated. The mixture was pelletized, dried and submitted to a temperature of 1773K until completion of the reaction. The reaction fraction as a function of time was determined. The results show that pellets containing components with liquid slag phase formed at higher temperature presented significant better reduction behavior than pellet with the liquid slag phase formed at lower temperature. The scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that a liquid phase was formed but the pellet did not collapse and indicated that thecoalescence of the metallic phase depends on the dissolution of the pre-reduced particles of the chromite into slag

Effect of SiO2 on the compressive strength and hot resistance abrasion of self reducing pellets bonded with Portland cement

A pelotização é o método de aglomeração de minério que oferece o melhor custo benefício. No processo, é necessária a adição de um aglomerante para conseguir as propriedades desejadas. Entre estes, ocimento é um dos destaques pela facilidade e custo. A adição de pozolânicos no concreto na construção civil para o aumento da resistência é de longa data. Neste trabalho, se estuda o efeito da adição de 1% de SiO2 ou bentonita na mistura das pelotas autorredutoras. Realizam-se ensaios de compressão a frio, compressão após tratamento térmico 950°C, teste e abrasão a quente, teste de quedas, além de difração de raios-X. Como resultados obteve-se um incremento da resistência a compressão a frio e a abrasão a quente com a resistência a compressão após tratamento térmico a 950°C.FAPESPVAL