Metallurgical performance evaluation of space-weathered Chang’e-5 lunar soil

Space metallurgy is an interdisciplinary field that combines planetary space science and metallurgical engineering.It involves systematic and theoretical engineering technology for utilizing planetary resources in situ.However,space metallurgy on the Moon is challenging because the lunar surface has experienced space weathering due to the lack of atmosphere and magnetic field,making the mi-crostructure of lunar soil differ from that of minerals on the Earth.In this study,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses were performed on Chang’e-5 powder lunar soil samples.The microstructural characteristics of the lunar soil may drastically change its metallurgical performance.The main special structure of lunar soil minerals include the nanophase iron formed by the impact of micrometeorites,the amorphous layer caused by solar wind injection,and radiation tracks modified by high-energy particle rays inside mineral crystals.The nanophase iron presents a wide distribution,which may have a great impact on the electromagnetic prop-erties of lunar soil.Hydrogen ions injected by solar wind may promote the hydrogen reduction process.The widely distributed amorph-ous layer and impact glass can promote the melting and diffusion process of lunar soil.Therefore,although high-energy events on the lun-ar surface transform the lunar soil,they also increase the chemical activity of the lunar soil.This is a property that earth samples and tradi-tional simulated lunar soil lack.The application of space metallurgy requires comprehensive consideration of the unique physical and chemical properties of lunar soil.

Jet Behavior and Metallurgical Performance of Innovated Double-Parameter Oxygen Lance in BOF

A double-parameter oxygen lance used in a 300 t converter was designed to improve the metallurgical performance. A small-scale measurement of the jet behavior was done using a computer controlled scanning system. The experimental data on the velocity distribution at the jet centerline, the contour map of the jet velocity, the deviation of the jet centerline, and the velocity distribution of the axial section were compiled. According to the results of the small-scale measurement, the double-parameter lance was also employed for a BOF experiment. The metallurgy inde- xes show that the metallurgical performance was highly promoted by use of the double-parameter lance.

Influence of basicity on metallurgical performances of fired super high-grade magnetite pellets in hydrogen-rich gases

The influence of basicity on the metallurgical performances and reduction characteristics of fired super high-grade magnetite pellets under the simulated shaft furnace gas conditions was investigated.The fired pellets in the basicity range of 0.09(natural basicity)to 1.00 show superior reducibility and low-temperature disintegration performance.However,in the basicity range of 0.20–0.80,the abnormal swelling of the fired pellets occurs.Improving basicity from 0.09 to 0.40 promotes the generation of low melting point slag phases and lower porosity of fired pellets,and accelerates the growth and densification of hematite crystals,impeding the reduction of hematite particles and the formation of metallic iron shell.In addition,the slags that distribute between the hematite particles absorb the reduction stresses by increased distances between the particles during the reduction process,which leads to the large reduction swelling of pellets.

Effect of alumina occurrence form on metallurgical properties of hematite and magnetite pellets

The effect of alumina occurrence form on the metallurgical properties of both hematite and magnetite pellets was investigated at the same Al_(2)O level of 2 wt.%,including reduction index(RI),low-temperature reduction disintegration index(RDI),reduction swelling index(RSI),and high-temperature softening-dripping performance.The mineralogy of fired pellets was also studied to reveal the influence of alumina occurrence form on the phase composition and microstructure.From the results,the alumina occurrence form presents tremendous impacts on the metallurgical perfor-mance of both magnetite and hematite pellets.Addition of all alumina occurrence forms contributes to inferior reducibility of pellets,especially in the case of gibbsite for magnetite pellets with a RI of 58.4%and kaolinite for hematite pellets with a RI of 56.8%.However,addition of all alumina occurrence forms improves the RDI of magnetite pellets,while there is no significant difference among various alumina occurrence forms.In contrast,alumina occurrence forms have little influence on the RDI of hematite pellets.The presence of free alumina,gibbsite,and kaolinite tends to improve the RSI of hematite and magnetite pellets,whereas hercynite gives the opposite trend with a RSI of 25.6%.For softening-dripping performance of magnetite pellets,all alumina occurrence forms contribute to narrower softening-melting interval.Meanwhile,alumina,gibbsite,and kaolinite give narrower softening-dripping interval,at 229,217,and 88℃,respectively,whereas addition of hercynite results in the largest melting range at 276℃ due to its high melting point.Regarding hematite pellets,free alumina,gibbsite,and hercynite tend to enlarge melting range,whereas kaolinite contributes to lower dripping temperature of 1148℃ and narrow softening-dripping interval of 88℃ due to the formation of a greater amount of slag phase at high temperatures.

Oxidation and Induration Characteristics of Pellets Made from Western Australian Ultrafine Magnetite Concentrates and Its Utilization Strategy

Western Australian magnetite concentrates normally have ultrafine granularity and much higher specific surface areas than Chinese magnetite concentrates owing to the significant pre-grinding and beneficiation for saleable iron grade. Such characteristics will inevitably affect the subsequent pelletization process. However, very few investi- gations have been done before. Thus, the oxidation and induration characteristics of pellet made from a Western Aus- tralian ultrafine magnetite concentrate were revealed by conducting routine preheating-roasting tests in an electric tube furnace and investigating the microstructure of fired pellets under an optical microscope in comparison with that of pellets made from typical Chinese magnetite concentrate. The liquidus regions of CaO-SiO2-Fe2O3 and CaO-SiO2- Al2O3 ternary systems in air at various temperatures were calculated by FactSage software to explain the importance of liquid phase in the consolidation of fired pellets. The results show that pellet made from ultrafine magnetite con- centrate possesses better oxidability and preheating performance than that made from Chinese magnetite concentrate. However, it has inferior roasting performance, usually requiring conditions of roasting at 1280℃ for at least 30 rain to acquire sufficiently high compressive strength, which are attributed to higher temperature sensitivity caused by its smaller particle size and less formation of liquid phase because of low impurities like CaO and Al2O3 in raw materials. Correspondingly, its roasting performanee can be significantly improved by blending with Chinese magnetite concen- trates or increasing the pellet basicity （WCaO/WSiO2）. By comprehensive evaluation, blending with Chinese iron ore concentrates is an appropriate way to utilize Western Australia ultrafine magnetite concentrates.

Developing laterite nickel ore leaching residue as sustainable blast furnace charge

A kind of leaching residue generated during high pressure acid leaching of laterite nickel ore is creatively prepared as blast furnace charge for ironmaking.Results show that the briquettes with uniform shape,compressive strength higher than 72.3 N/pellet,and cracking temperature over 400℃can be obtained by the non-binder briquetting with water content of 12.2 wt.%and pressure of 30 MPa.After preheating at 975℃for 12 min and roasting at 1225℃for 15 min,the strength of the roasted briquettes can reach 2815 N/pellet,and the iron grade is 59.27 wt.%.And the sulfur content can be simultaneously reduced to 0.067 wt.%.The obtained briquettes achieve adequate reducibility index,reduction degradation index,reduction swelling index,softening and melting temperatures,which are suitable for blast furnace ironmaking.The results show that this method cannot only effectively treat the leaching residue to reduce the risk of environmental pollution,but also realize the utilization of leaching residue.

Utilization of High Sulfur Raw Materials in Iron Ore Pellets

Pyrite cinder and high sulfur magnetite were used as raw materials to produce iron ore pellets. Good quali ties of green balls and fired pellets were obtained from the feed comprising 50G pyrite cinder and 50% high sulfur magnetite concentrate at a small scale. Small scale tests were proven by pilot-scale tests. The high grade fired pel lets, assaying 63. 22% Fe, were analyzed, and the compressive strength of fired pellets was over 2 500 N/pellet. The fired pellets possessed excellent metallurgical performances, such as reducibility index higher than 67%, reduction swelling index lower than 15% and low temperature reduction degradation index （＋ 3.15 mm） higher than 1%, which can be used as the hurden for blast furnace.