Growth of ferroalloys production at the chusovoi metallurgical plant

Abstract

The constantly increasing need for quality ferroalloys requires an improvement in existing production processes and the use of progressive technologies. This problem is being given serious attention at the Chusovoi Metallurgical Plant. Its ferroalloys shop, which has been in existence since 1936, had ceased to satisfy the country's needs for ferroalloys. Thus, following a decision by the national government, the plant began the construction of ferroalloys shop No. 2 at the beginning of the 1960s. The shop was designed by the institute "Giprostal'" (in Kharkov). The technology and equipment were chosen with allowance for the experience gained in the operation of shop No. 1 and the most progessive designs used by similar concerns in Russia and by foreign vanadium producers, such as Otanmyaki (Finland) and the plant in Vitkovitz, Czechoslovakia. The initial data that was used consisted of information from researchers at the Chusovoi plant, scientists at the Central Scientific Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy (TsNIIchermet), Ural Polytechnic Institute (in Sverdlovsk), and other organizations.The plan devised for the shop included the following elements, which were intended to improve the production process: 9 crushing of slag to a fineness of less than 100 mesh, making it possible to more completely expose the grains of iron-vanadium spinelide; 9 air separation of the charge, making it possible to increase the recovery of vanadium; 9 the installation of equipment providing for complete and uniform mixing of the charge materials before roasting, in order to stabilize the composition of the charge; 9 the installation of a line to process metal screenings, including separation of the slag portion, in order to further increase the recovery of vanadium; 9 the use of rotary drum-type roasting furnaces with a length of 42 m and a special expanded part to increase the degree of conversion of vanadium to soluble forms; 9 the use of active acid leaching, with complete recycling of all intermediate solutions, in order to more fully recover vanadium in solution and reduce the consumption of sulfuric acid and soda; 9 secondary precipitation of vanadium from waste water, to increase vanadium recovery while rendering the water harmless; 9 the use of hydrochloric acid in a precipitation technology that yields high-purity vanadium pentoxide; 9 comprehensive automation of production processes; 9 installation of gas-cleaning and aspiration systems. Ferroalloys shop No. 2 began operation on July 1, 1964. Since the shop had to reach its design capacity as quickly as possible, some errors were made in substantiating certain stages of its initial operation. The attendant problems hurt the performance indices of the shop. However, the changes that were made to its plan of operation were necessitated mainly due to mistakes made by the designers, due to their lack of experience in designing such facilities and their lack of familiarity with the relatively sophisticated equipment that was to be used. As a result, a mechanical system wa...