Iron Making PPT Notes 2

IRON MAKING

O=30.1% O=27.6% O=~22.0% O= ~ 0%

CO
Fe2O3 Fe3O4 FexO Fe
Liquid iron

Maximum removal of oxygen taking place

during 3rd stage reaction, i.e. FeO to Fe
ELLingham diagram
2X/Y M + O2 = 2/Y
MxOy
According to Ellingham diagram:
1. Temperature 1073K respresents intersection
point.
2. Reduction of haematite below 1073 K is done
by carbon monoxide. Hence ∆G°(Fe →
Fe2O3) > ∆G°(CO → CO2)
3. Reduction of haematite above 1073 K is
done by coke (or carbon). Hence ∆G°(Fe →
Fe2O3) > ∆G° (C → CO)
According to Ellingham diagram:
1. Temperature 1073K respresents intersection point.
2. Reduction of haematite below 1073 K is done by carbon monoxide.
Hence ∆G°(Fe → Fe2O3) > ∆G°(CO → CO2)
3. Reduction of haematite above 1073 K is done by coke (or carbon).
Hence ∆G°(Fe → Fe2O3) > ∆G° (C → CO)
Reactions in shaft
Reactions in Upper shaft
Reactions in Middle shaft
Reactions in Lower shaft
Cohesive zone
Active coke zone
Tuyer’s zone
Blast Furnace Slag
 In a blast furnace, metallic iron starts absorbing carbon in the lower part of the stack owing to the presence of coke,
and it becomes liquid at as low a temperature as approximately 1300°C.
 In the hearth, molten hot metal contains about 4% C with a liquidus temperature lower than 1200°C
 The major constituents of blast furnace slag are CaO, Al2O3, SiO2, and in most cases, some amount of MgO is also
present. The minor constituents are: MnO, TiO2, FeO, alkali oxides, etc. SiO2 and Al2O3 c
 Figure below illustrates the iso-activity lines of SiO2 in the liquid field of the ternary CaO–SiO2–Al2O3 system at
1550°C
 It will be noted that the liquid field is fairly large; however, with decreasing temperature, it becomes smaller and
smaller, and disappears completely at around 1250°C.
 It should also be noted that liquid slag is much more viscous than liquid iron. Furthermore, the viscosity varies by
orders of magnitude depending on the composition and temperature.
 The first slag that forms in the belly region at around 1200–1300°C may or may not
contain any CaO.
 Melting at such a low temperature is only possible because of the formation of FeO–SiO2
compounds in large amounts. These compounds have very low liquidus temperatures
when they react with the reduced FeO to form what is known as the primary slag.
 As the primary slag trickles down through the bed of solids, its temperature rises.
Moreover, FeO gets reduced and the slag dissolves more CaO.
 At the tuyere level, the coke burns thereby releasing coke ash consisting of SiO2 and
Al2O3. This makes the slag at the tuyere level high in SiO2 (acid slag).
 The slag at the bosh region is known as Bosh slag. Final composition adjustments occur
during the passage of the bosh slag into the hearth, during which the FeO content
becomes very low.
For proper furnace operation, the liquid slag should have as low a viscosity as possible, preferably lower than 2
poise. Viscous slags:
 Pose difficulties during slag–metal separation in the hearth

 Slowdown the rates of slag–metal reactions
 Do not flow down properly from the bosh to the hearth
 Hinder smooth upward flow of gas through the burden.
Slag basicity is another important parameter.

 Acceptable levels of transfer of both S/Si from the metal to slag are facilitated if the slag is basic.
 But, highly basic slags have higher viscosity as well.
 These two contradictory requirements are met in the blast furnace by maintaining a V-Ratio of the Hearth slag
between 1.0 and 1.25.
Nowadays it has become a standard practice to use slags containing 4–10% MgO in the blast furnace since MgO
lowers both the liquidus temperature as well as the viscosity.
The gangue of Indian iron ore has high Al2O3/SiO2 ratios, resulting in high Al2O3 in blast furnace slag in Indian
furnaces.
In this situation, addition of larger amounts of MgO to arrive at a hearth slag composition of about 30 –32% CaO,
30% SiO2, 25–30% Al2O3 and 7–10% MgO is resorted to.
 At any given composition of slag, its viscosity decreases with increasing temperature.
 Figure shows viscosity vs. temperature (T) curves for blast furnace-type slags at three different basicity ratios.
 To obtain a fluid, free-running slag, a minimum hearth temperature is required. This is known as the Critical Hearth
Temperature.
 It should be as low as possible in order to cut down the heat requirement as well as to increase the hearth lining life.
Typically, it is maintained at 1400–1450°C. At this temperature CaO– SiO2–Al2O3–MgO containing slags become
sufficiently fluid owing to the presence of the minor constituents (MnO, TiO2, alkali oxides, etc.).
Reaction of Silicon: Reaction in raceway and bosh Figure 5.10 schematically shows the mechanism of reduction of
SiO2, pick up of metallic Si by liquid iron, etc. in the blast
furnace raceway, bosh and hearth. The coke burns in the blast
furnace raceway in front of the tuyeres, thus releasing coke ash
containing SiO2.
Some molten slag
Reactions in hearth
Molten metal droplets react with the slag in hearth while passing through the slag layer. Extensive laboratory and plant
investigations have been carried out on several blast furnace reactions in the hearth.
For silicon, the slag–metal reaction is: (SiO2) + 2[C] = [Si] + 2CO(g)
It has been further observed that the Si–Mn reaction, which is a slag–metal reaction, also occurs in blast furnace hearth,
i.e. 2(MnO) + [Si] = 2[Mn] + (SiO2)
Strategy for production of low silicon hot metal

As mentioned earlier, hot metal with a low silicon content is desirable for efficient steelmaking.
The strategy for achieving the same can be devised on the basis of the mechanism of silicon
reaction, which was discussed in the previous section. The strategy would involve several steps.
1. Decreasing the extent of SiO formation by:
Lowering ash in coke, and the coke rate
Lowering RAFT
Lowering the activity of SiO2 in coke ash by lime injection through the tuyeres.
2. Decreasing Si absorption by liquid iron in the bosh by enhancing the absorption of SiO2
by the bosh slag. This can be achieved by:
Increasing the bosh slag basicity
Lowering the bosh slag viscosity by operating at lower basicities.
3. Removal of Si from metal by slag–metal reaction at the hearth by:
Lowering the hearth temperature
Producing a slag of optimum basicity and fluidity.
Reaction of Sulphur
Most of the sulphur (say about 80%) enters the blast furnace through coke as CaS and FeS in coke ash as well as in the form of
organic sulphur. The remainder comes through the other burden materials. In any blast furnace, about 80–90% of the sulphur
input leaves the furnace with the slag, 10–15% reports to flue dust and top gas, while 2–5% gets dissolved in hot metal.
MASS/HEAT BALANCE IN BF
Input = output

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IRON MAKING

O=30.1% O=27.6% O=~22.0% O= ~ 0%

Maximum removal of oxygen taking place

 Pose difficulties during slag–metal separation in the hearth

Slag basicity is another important parameter.

Strategy for production of low silicon hot metal

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