A novel technology for extracting vanadium from molten converter vanadium
slag was studied at the laboratory scale by oxidation and calcification. The
effect of the cooling method, CaO addition and reaction time on the phases
of calcified vanadium slag was studied. Under the action of oxygen and CaO,
the molten vanadium slag underwent calcification reaction to form
acid-soluble calcium vanadate phase, the feasibility of its main chemical
reaction was calculated by Factsage8.1. The calcified vanadium slag was
leached by H2SO4 solution and characterized by XRF, XRD, SEM and EDS
techniques. Compared with the traditional process, the new process saved
much energy, and it was faster and more efficient. The XRD results showed
that CaV2O5, Ca7V4O17 and Ca3V2O8 were gradually formed in the molten
vanadium slag with increasing CaO addition. However, when too much CaO was
added, Ca2SiO4 and CaTiO3 were also formed. These phases wrapped part of the
vanadium and reduced the leaching rate of vanadium. When the mass ratio of
Ca to V was 0.75, under the optimal acid leaching conditions (particle size
of calcified vanadium slag less than 0.075 mm, leaching temperature 90?C,
H2SO4 concentration 200 g.L-1, liquid-to-solid ratio 6:1 ml.g-1, leaching
time 60 min, stirring speed 300r.min-1), the leaching rate of vanadium from
calcified vanadium slag could exceed 90%. The new process not only saved
energy and reduced emissions, but also reached the average level of the
existing vanadium extraction process.