Petrochemical calculations in the production of forsterite-spinel refractories from carbon ferrochrome slags

Abstract

Many years of experience in laboratory petrography at the Eastern Refractory Institute have shown that the method of production of inorganic materials (parts) represents a deliberate change in mineral (phase) composition and structure of the original components to obtain the optimum composition of properties of the finished products. In connection with this, the main production parameters must be based on the prediction petrographic data.This article considers petrochemical aspects of the production of forsterite-spinel refractories from carbon ferrochrome slags. The use of the lattermakes it possible to significantly broaden the raw material base of forsterite-spinel refractories, thereby having reduced the significant shortage of magnesia raw material, and to provide a change in the production of carbon ferrochrome to a waste-free method. In dddition, forsterite-spinel refractories from these slags may be used as possible replacements for scarce and expensive magnesia-spinellide parts,The object of the investigation was the waste carbon ferrochrome slags of Serov Ferroalloy Plant and Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical Combine. The slags are a byproduct of carbothermal reduction of Kempirsaisk chromite ore. Pervoural and Bakal quartzites are used as the fluxing addition and the reducing agent is carbon (coke).During electric arc melting in the ore melting furnace chromium and iron are reduced to ferrochrome and the difficult to reduce oxides of the charge are converted to a refractory magnesia-aluminosilicate slag.The results of investigations of carbon ferrochrome slags at the Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical Combine [i] showed the presence in their composition of forsterite, merwinite, melilite, and chromespinellide, The increased merwinite and melilite content in the slags, caused by the addition to the charge of lime, significantly reduced their refractoriness and practically eliminated the use of them as a refractory material.It has been noted [2] that alumina has a negative influence on the properties of forsterite refractories since spinel forms low-melting eutecticswith forsterite. However, both in the USSR and abroad there are data on the production of forsterite-spinel refractory materials and parts from the slags of carbon and foundry ferrochrome* [3][4][5][6][7][8]. The possibility has also been shown of the use of foundry and carbon ferrochrome slag as a filler for heat resistant concretes [9][10][11]. However, the slag filler had insufficiently high thermomechanical properties as the result of the significant (up to 55%) content of comparatively low-melting glassy phase.At present in connection with the shortage of magnesia materials there has been a sharp increase in interest in investigation and utilization of forsterite-spinel slags [12][13][14][15][16][17] but the mineral composition of the ferroalloy slags has been insufficiently studied. The quantity of periclase added to them to increase the refractory properties of the parts has not been based on the actual phase and chemical compositions of...

Comprehensive Characterization of Ferrochrome Slag and Ferrochrome Ash as Sustainable Materials in Construction

“…The characteristics of the produced ferrochrome slag are significantly influenced by the FCS cooling system [26]. The cooling system has a big impact on the rate of crystallization and the size of the generated slag [27]. Rapid water cooling generates finer (5 mm) dark-colored granules with a crystalline nature.…”

Effects of clay and fireclay addition on the properties of magnesia–forsterite–spinel refractories synthesized at different firing temperatures

“…Slags of carbon-ferrochrome were utilized to produce the forsterite-spinel bodies. Magnesia was added up to 9 wt% to improve the refractoriness of the produced bodies [30].…”

Application of computers in petrochemical calculations of the compositions of magnesia-silicate materials

“…Perepelitsyn et al [4] described a method for calculating the required MgO additive on the basis of the data concerning the content and the composition of the glass phase. This paper presents the block diagrams (programs) and the examples of calculating a number of parameters of the magnesia-silicate raw materials and the refractories based on them.…”