Effect of Na_2O on alumina leaching property and phase transformation of MgO-containing calcium aluminate slags

In order to remove or reduce the negative effect of MgO in calcium aluminate slags, the method of adding Na2O into calcium aluminate slags was studied and its effect on leaching mechanism was also analyzed. The results show that the alumina leaching efficiency of the calcium aluminate slag increases from 68.73% to 80.86% with Na2O content increasing from 0 to 4% when MgO content is 3%. The XRD results show that the quaternary compound C20A13M3S3 disappears when Na2O content increases to 4%. The addition of Na2O cannot remove the negative effect of MgO on leachability completely. XRD and EDS results indicate that Na2O can come into the lattice of 12CaO·7Al2O3 and promote the formation of 12CaO·7Al2O3

Secondary reaction mechanism of leaching process of calcium aluminate slag

SiO2 in calcium aluminate slag exists in the form of γ-2CaO·SiO2 which is more stable than β-2CaO·SiO2. However, it is decomposed by sodium carbonate solution during leaching process, leading to the secondary reaction. The extent of secondary reaction and reaction mechanism of calcium aluminate slag were studied using XRD. The results show that the decomposition rate of γ-2CaO·SiO2 increases with the increase in leaching time and sodium carbonate concentration. The main products of secondary reaction are the mixture of hydrogarnet and sodium hydrate alumina-silicate. SiO2 concentration rises firstly and then drops with the increase of leaching temperature. XRD results indicate that the stable product of secondary reaction at low temperature is hydrogarnet. But hydrogarnet is transformed into sodium hydrate alumina-silicate at high temperature.

Recovery of iron and calcium aluminate slag from high-ferrous bauxite by high-temperature reduction and smelting process

A high-temperature reduction and smelting process was used to recover iron and calcium aluminate slag from high-ferrous bauxite. The effects of w（CaO）/w（SiO_2） ratio, anthracite ratio, and reduction temperature and time on the recovery and size of iron nuggets and on the Al_2O_3 grade of the calcium aluminate slag were investigated through thermodynamic calculations and experiments. The optimized process conditions were the bauxite/anthracite/slaked lime weight ratio of 100：16.17：59.37, reduction temperature of 1450°C and reduction time of 20 min. Under these conditions, high-quality iron nuggets and calcium aluminate slag were obtained. The largest size and the highest recovery rate of iron nuggets were 11.42 mm and 92.79wt%, respectively. The calcium aluminate slag mainly comprised Ca_2 SiO_4 and Ca_（12）Al_（14）O_（33）, with small amounts of Fe Al_2O_4, CaAl_2O_4, and Ca_2Al_2SiO_7.

"In-situ Recycling" :Monolithic Ladle Repair with Shotcreting

The service life of refractories in ladle walls is limited by corrosion,abrasion,thermal shock and structural spalling mechanisms. When the ladle is lined with bricks they typically need to be completely removed after a certain number of heats to be replaced by new bricks of the same size as the original bricks. Not so for monolithic ladle linings. At the end of their service life the remains of the castable can almost completely be recycled as they can in fact stay in place. Only the worn-out part of the lining has to be replaced by a new castable. 20%-50% of the initial ladle lining can be recycled ＂insitu＂. The installation can efficiently be done by shotcreting technics. But it requires a castable that resists slag penetration very well. Castables based on a calcium magnesium aluminate bond provide the required penetration resistance. Pumping and shotcreting is very well adapted for repairs of blast furnace shafts,torpedo cars,hot metal and steel ladle linings[1]. However,very little is published about how a good pumping and shotcreting performance can be achieved when the installation has to be done under extreme weather conditions. At high ambient temperature the challenge is to ensure a good pumping result without early castable stiffening. Blockage of the pump would be the consequence. At low ambient temperature the difficulty is to de-activate the highly efficient deflocculant fast enough with a gelling agent added intothe wet mix at the nozzle to prevent the gunned material slipping off the wall. This paper studies strategies how to achieve good installed properties even at extreme ambient temperatures. The interactions between deflocculants,retarders,gelling agents,and calcium magnesium aluminate binder as a function of temperature are studied for an alumina- spinel ladle castable. Beside a new gelling agent for this castable type also a special stabilizer to reduce the temperature sensitivity has been investigated. It will be highlighted how the use of the new calcium magnesium aluminate binder in ladle castables and shotcretes maximises their service life and minimises material consumption.