Assessment of the efficiency of using Bakal siderites in blast furnace smelting

Metallurgical plants in the Urals are experiencing a shortage of iron ore. This has been compensated by the use of materials imported from Central Russia, the Kola Peninsula and Kazakhstan. Replacing them with local resources would increase the competitiveness of the metal produced in the Urals, which makes the question of assessing the possibility of replacing imported resources with local ones very relevant. Siderite ores from the Bakal deposit could be such resources. They are not in demand among metallurgists because of their low iron and high magnesium content. Calculations of blast furnace smelting made with the help of a balance logical-statistical model showed that additions of calcined and metallized concentrates improve performance. However, with increasing amount of siderites in the charge, the content of magnesium oxide in the slag increases. This in turn affects the viscosity and makes it difficult or impossible to smelt using more than 20 % siderites. The use of boron oxide for slag liquefaction is proposed. Thermodynamic modeling has been used to evaluate the effect of adding 1 – 3 % B₂O₃ to the charge on  chemical composition of the slag and the distribution of boron between the metallic and oxide phases. It is shown that in the process of smelting, Boron is reduced from the slag phase, resulting in its partial transition into metal. This causes a decrease in the B₂O₃ content in the final slag. A comparative analysis of the calculated and experimental data shows a similar content of boron in metal, which has been determined both theoretically and experimentally. This should be taken into account when calculating the charge. According to the data obtained, the main reducing agent of boron is silicon, while experimental data show that it is carbon.

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