Post-mortem Microstructural Study of Aluminous Refractory Brick Used in Channels of Blast Furnaces

Aluminous refractory materials with high alumina contents are widely used in the steel industry,and the higher the alumina content,the higher the working temperature.Properties such as high refractoriness and thermal shock resistance lead these refractory materials to be used as channel linings of blast furnaces,where they are exposed to the attack by slag,molten steel,working cycles and sudden temperature changes between 25℃(room temperature)and 1520℃(the temperature of molten pig iron).In this work,microstructural changes in post-mortem aluminous refractory bricks were investigated by apparent porosity,X-ray diffraction analysis(XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),scanning electron microscopy,and X-ray dispersion energy spectrometry(SEM/EDS).The results showed an increase in the apparent porosity and the bulk density and the presence of the phases mullite,sillimanite,alumina,and quartz in the post-mortem brick.Calcium and magnesium were not detected in the microstructure of the post-mortem brick,indicating that slags did not corrode these refractory materials.Therefore,the microstructural changes that occurred in the post-mortem bricks must be due to thermal cycling.In the X-ray diffraction(XRD)test,mullite,sillimanite,quartz,andα-alumina phases were identified.These results indicate that the aluminous refractory was obtained from sillimanite.In infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)it was possible to identify the vibration bands referring to the Si-O and Al-O bonds.The increase in the porosity is a result of cracks caused by work cycles at high temperatures and the temperature gradient to which the refractory was subjected during use.Through the micrograph it was possible to identify the presence of acicular mullite.The absence of magnesium and calcium in the microanalysis results by energy dispersed X-ray spectrometry(EDS)indicates that there was no infiltration by slag or liquid iron.These results indicate that the microstructural changes that occurred in the post-mortem aluminous refractory were of a thermal nature.

Cross-upgrading of biomass hydrothermal carbonization and pyrolysis for high quality blast furnace injection fuel production:Physicochemical characteristics and gasification kinetics analysis

The paper proposes a biomass cross-upgrading process that combines hydrothermal carbonization and pyrolysis to produce high-quality blast furnace injection fuel.The results showed that after upgrading,the volatile content of biochar ranged from 16.19%to 45.35%,and the alkali metal content,ash content,and specific surface area were significantly reduced.The optimal route for biochar pro-duction is hydrothermal carbonization-pyrolysis(P-HC),resulting in biochar with a higher calorific value,C=C structure,and increased graphitization degree.The apparent activation energy(E)of the sample ranges from 199.1 to 324.8 kJ/mol,with P-HC having an E of 277.8 kJ/mol,lower than that of raw biomass,primary biochar,and anthracite.This makes P-HC more suitable for blast furnace injection fuel.Additionally,the paper proposes a path for P-HC injection in blast furnaces and calculates potential environmental benefits.P-HC of-fers the highest potential for carbon emission reduction,capable of reducing emissions by 96.04 kg/t when replacing 40wt%coal injec-tion.

Coke behavior with H_(2)O in a hydrogen-enriched blast furnace:A review

Hydrogen-enriched blast furnace ironmaking has become an essential route to reduce CO_(2)emissions in the ironmaking process.However,hydrogen-enriched reduction produces large amounts of H_(2)O,which places new demands on coke quality in a blast furnace.In a hydrogen-rich blast furnace,the presence of H_(2)O promotes the solution loss reaction.This result improves the reactivity of coke,which is 20%-30%higher in a pure H_(2)O atmosphere than in a pure CO_(2)atmosphere.The activation energy range is 110-300 kJ/mol between coke and CO_(2)and 80-170 kJ/mol between coke and H_(2)O.CO_(2)and H_(2)O are shown to have different effects on coke degradation mechanisms.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effect of H_(2)O on the structure and properties of coke.By exploring the interactions between H_(2)O and coke,several unresolved issues in the field requiring further research were identified.This review aims to provide valuable insights into coke behavior in hydrogen-rich environments and promote the further development of hydrogen-rich blast furnace ironmaking processes.

Research progress and future prospects in the service security of key blast furnace equipment

The safety and longevity of key blast furnace(BF)equipment determine the stable and low-carbon production of iron.This pa-per presents an analysis of the heat transfer characteristics of these components and the uneven distribution of cooling water in parallel pipes based on hydrodynamic principles,discusses the feasible methods for the improvement of BF cooling intensity,and reviews the pre-paration process,performance,and damage characteristics of three key equipment pieces:coolers,tuyeres,and hearth refractories.Fur-thermoere,to attain better control of these critical components under high-temperature working conditions,we propose the application of optimized technologies,such as BF operation and maintenance technology,self-repair technology,and full-lifecycle management techno-logy.Finally,we propose further researches on safety assessments and predictions for key BF equipment under new operating conditions.

Extraction of Valuable Metals from Titanium-bearing Blast Furnace Slag by Acid Leaching

To realize the resource utilization of the valuable metals in the titanium-containing blast furnace slag,the process route of “hydrochloric acid leaching-electrolysis-carbonization and carbon dioxide capture-preparation of calcium carbonate” was proposed.In this study,the influences of process conditions on the leaching rates of calcium,magnesium,aluminum,and iron and the phases of the leaching residue were investigated for the leaching process.The experimental results show that the HCl solution could selectively leach the elements from the titanium-containing blast furnace slag.The better leaching conditions are the HCl solution concentration of 4 mol/L,the leaching time of 30 min,the ratio of liquid volume to solid gas of 10 mL/g,and the stirring paddle speed of 300 r/min.Under the conditions,the leaching rates of calcium,magnesium,aluminum,and iron can reach 85.87%,73.41%,81.35%,and 59.08%,and the leaching rate of titanium is 10.71%.The iron and the aluminum are removed from the leachate to obtain iron-aluminum water purification agents,and the magnesium is removed from the leachate to obtain magnesium hydroxide.The leaching residue phase is dominated by perovskite,followed by magnesium silicate and tricalcium aluminate,and the titaniumrich material could be obtained from the leaching residue by desiliconization.

Process metallurgy and data-driven prediction and feedback of blast furnace heat indicators

The prediction and control of furnace heat indicators are of great importance for improving the heat levels and conditions of the complex and difficult-to-operate hour-class delay blast furnace(BF)system.In this work,a prediction and feedback model of furnace heat indicators based on the fusion of data-driven and BF ironmaking processes was proposed.The data on raw and fuel materials,process op-eration,smelting state,and slag and iron discharge during the whole BF process comprised 171 variables with 9223 groups of data and were comprehensively analyzed.A novel method for the delay analysis of furnace heat indicators was established.The extracted delay variables were found to play an important role in modeling.The method that combined the genetic algorithm and stacking efficiently im-proved performance compared with the traditional machine learning algorithm in improving the hit ratio of the furnace heat prediction model.The hit ratio for predicting the temperature of hot metal in the error range of±10℃ was 92.4%,and that for the chemical heat of hot metal in the error range of±0.1wt%was 93.3%.On the basis of the furnace heat prediction model and expert experience,a feedback model of furnace heat operation was established to obtain quantitative operation suggestions for stabilizing BF heat levels.These sugges-tions were highly accepted by BF operators.Finally,the comprehensive and dynamic model proposed in this work was successfully ap-plied in a practical BF system.It improved the BF temperature level remarkably,increasing the furnace temperature stability rate from 54.9%to 84.9%.This improvement achieved considerable economic benefits.

A Novel Sensing Imaging Equipment Under Extremely Dim Light for Blast Furnace Burden Surface:Starlight High-Temperature Industrial Endoscope

Blast furnace(BF)burden surface contains the most abundant,intuitive and credible smelting information and acquiring high-definition and high-brightness optical images of which is essential to realize precise material charging control,optimize gas flow distribution and improve ironmaking efficiency.It has been challengeable to obtain high-quality optical burden surface images under high-temperature,high-dust,and extremelydim(less than 0.001 Lux)environment.Based on a novel endoscopic sensing detection idea,a reverse telephoto structure starlight imaging system with large field of view and large aperture is designed.Combined with a water-air dual cooling intelligent self-maintenance protection device and the imaging system,a starlight high-temperature industrial endoscope is developed to obtain clear optical burden surface images stably under the harsh environment.Based on an endoscope imaging area model,a material flow trajectory model and a gas-dust coupling distribution model,an optimal installation position and posture configuration method for the endoscope is proposed,which maximizes the effective imaging area and ensures large-area,safe and stable imaging of the device in a confined space.Industrial experiments and applications indicate that the proposed method obtains clear and reliable large-area optical burden surface images and reveals new BF conditions,providing key data support for green iron smelting.

Analysis and Prospect of Waste Heat Utilization from Blast Furnace Slag Flushing

Estimating the residual heat of blast furnace slag flushing in China,classifying and introducing the current proposed methods of slag flushing waste heat utilization,and listing existing cases.In order to better save energy and water in the slag flushing process of blast furnaces,an ideal comprehensive cascade utilization system scheme for annual recovery of waste heat is proposed.Based on the measured waste heat data of a steel plant,design calculations are carried out to further analyze the economic feasibility of the new scheme and provide reference for its promotion and application.

Outlier screening for ironmaking data on blast furnaces

Blast furnace data processing is prone to problems such as outliers.To overcome these problems and identify an improved method for processing blast furnace data,we conducted an in-depth study of blast furnace data.Based on data samples from selected iron and steel companies,data types were classified according to different characteristics;then,appropriate methods were selected to process them in order to solve the deficiencies and outliers of the original blast furnace data.Linear interpolation was used to fill in the divided continuation data,the Knearest neighbor(KNN)algorithm was used to fill in correlation data with the internal law,and periodic statistical data were filled by the average.The error rate in the filling was low,and the fitting degree was over 85%.For the screening of outliers,corresponding indicator parameters were added according to the continuity,relevance,and periodicity of different data.Also,a variety of algorithms were used for processing.Through the analysis of screening results,a large amount of efficient information in the data was retained,and ineffective outliers were eliminated.Standardized processing of blast furnace big data as the basis of applied research on blast furnace big data can serve as an important means to improve data quality and retain data value.

Quantificational indexes for design and evaluation of copper staves for blast furnaces

The quantificational and normative design is the precondition of improving the design of copper staves for blast furnaces. Based on a 3-dimensional temperature field calculation model, from the view point of heat transfer and long campaigns note with the core of forming accretion, the forming-accretion-ability （FAA） and the rib hot surface maximum temperature difference （ATmax） as quantificational indexes to direct and evaluate the design of copper staves for blast furnaces were presented. The application of the two indexes in design essentially embodies the new long campaigns in the stage of design. With the application of the two indexes, good results can be obtained. Firstly, it was suggested that the rib height of a copper stave can be reduced to 15 mm, which is a new method and theory for the reduction of copper staves. Secondly, the influence of insert on FAA and ATmax, is decided by the volume of insert. According to this, the principle of design for the hot surface geometry of copper staves was put forward that the ratio of the rib hot surface to the copper stave hot surface （abbreviated as the ratio of rib to stave） must be maintained in the range of 45% to 55%; for the present copper stave with a 35-40 mm thick rib, the ratio of rib to stave in the range of 50% to 55% can optimize the design of copper staves; for the copper stave with a smaller rib thickness, for example 15 ram, the ratio of rib to stave in the range of 45% to 50% can optimize the design of copper staves. It can be summarized that the thicker the rib thickness, the larger is the ratio of rib to stave. 2008 University of Science and Technology Beijing. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the relationship between hearth wall erosion and deadman permeability for large blast furnaces

In this study, the relationship between hearth wall erosion and deadman permeability was investigated based on the change in the hearth bottom and hearth sidewall temperatures. Additionally, the operation practice for controlling hearth wall erosion in the large No. 1 blast furnace at Baosteel was also investigated. The reasons for the decrease in the permeability of deadman coke were analyzed, and measures for improving the permeability of deadman coke and controlling hearth wall temperature rising were described. The results show that a decrease in deadman coke permeability is the main reason for refractory temperature increase and hearth wall erosion. This indicates the importance of monitoring changes in hearth working conditions and taking appropriate measures to maintain sufficient permeability of the deadman and balance the hot metal flow and drainage of slag. At this rate, the decline in the hearth bottom temperature and fast rising of the hearth wall temperature can be restrained.

Environmental-friendly Ramming Materials for Mud Package and Taphole of Large-scaled Blast Furnaces

The compositions, structures and properties of envi- ronmental-friendly ramming materials for mud package and taphole of large-scaled blast furnaces were studied. The results show that the formation of silica fibers makes structure of ramming materials dense. During the process of extruding mud and ramming materials, SiC is partly oxidized ; CaO , F% 03 and carbon penetrate towards the outer wall. The improvement of ramming materials can inhibit the penetration of molten slag, iron and carbon. The bulk density of environmental-friendly ramming ma- terials dried at 200 ℃ is 2.90 g · cm-3, the cold com- pressive strength of this kind of ramming materials dried at 200 ℃ is about 17. 0 MPa and fired at I 450 ℃ is about 39. 2 MPa.

Technical Questions in Castables Innovation for Main Iron Trough in Large-scaled Blast Furnaces of WISCO

The technical .wtors of castables innovation of matin iron trough in blust furnaces of WISCO in recent ten years were analyed, and corrosion process of dense corundum, sub-white corundum and brown corundum aggregates in the castables for the main iron trough was researched. It is regarded tha.t there is no inevitable relation between castables properties and service life, and it must be considered that whether the normal technical in- dex in. the stan＆trd can be used as judgment basis. Based on the improvement of matrix, the service hfe （once throughput of hot metal ） of castables used in main iron trough increases from 90 000 tons to 140 000 - 180 000 tons ; the properties of different raw materials are Jidly applied, and structure improvement of iron trough and progress of material technique are very important reasons.

Study on the stability control technology of large-scaled blast furnaces

Nowadays,there are two major trends,which are the increasing blast furnace （BF） working volume and the decreasing fuel resource as well as the decline in its quality,in the ironmaking filed. The two trends lead to the difficulty in the BF operation. The decline of the BF stability requires higher and more elaborate operational techniques. A reasonable and compatible BF comprehensive operating system,as the base of the BF stabilization,is desired to satisfy the demand of large-scaled BF developments. Based on the practical operation of Baosteel No. 3 BF in 2010, the present work analyzes and discusses the basic rules of large-scaled BF stable control techniques,and further optimizes and improves its gas flow control techniques, develops strategies against the decline in fuel quality, which will contribute to the promotion of largescaled BF operational techniques progress.

Experimental study on the effect of using nut coke on the permeability of packed beds in blast furnaces

The charging pattern may affect blast furnace permeability, coke ratio, and the freedom to select lowgrade raw materials. Ore-coke mixed charging is a potential technique for optimizing the charging pattern. In recent years,charging small-sized coke （nut coke） into the burden layer has been applied to save raw materials and decrease cost. Although mixed charging, especially adding nut coke into the burden layer, may have many advantages, the mechanisms and side effects of nut coke use are not well understood, and the mixing ratio is still limited in industrial blast furnace operation. In this study ,the status of mixed charging, especially nut coke used in blast furnaces, was investigated. A cold flow model was established to study the permeability of the packed bed in the blast furnace ＂dry zone＂ under different conditions with the aim of better understanding the mechanisms of mixing coke and nut coke into the burden layer. The effect of coke size, mixing coke ratio, layer numbers, and gas flow rate on the pressure drop of the packed bed was investigated. The experimental results show that mixing the nut coke in the ore layers decreases the pressure drop to different extents depending on mixing ratio.

Analysis of the quick corrosion of blast furnaces’gas pipes after the installation of dry-type de-dusting equipment and discussion about measures

Compared with the traditional wet-type de-dusting technology ,the dry-type de-dusting technology is considered to be environmentally friendly and energy-saving. However, the pipes carrying the de-dusted blast fiLrnace gas （BFG） tends to be corrosive more quickly and seriously. In order to investigate the reasons for the quick corrosion, the gas pipes and auxiliary bellows installed in Baosteel＇ s newly built BFG dry-type de-dusting system are studied. The corrosive properties of the condensed water, such as the pH value, are measured and analyzed. Meanwhile, various factors that may influence the corrosion rate of the pipes are studied by experiment. On the basis of the investigation and research, the causes of corrosion and leakage on the pipes are discovered. It is the process of dry de-dusting that is responsible ,to a large extent, for the quick corrosion of the pipes. The equipment of spray tower is introduced and its effects are then discussed. This tower is designed to eliminate most of chloridion and neutralized the acid by spraying the alkaline water to the dedusted gas flow. The practical operation shows that the tower helps to lessen the corrosiveness of the dry de-dusted gas effectively. The last part of this study analyzes the possible impacts of the dry-type de-dusting process of the newly built blast furnace （BF） on the main BFG piping which has been in the state of being corroded for years by estimating its potential corrosion rate, and some suggestions on maintenance are given as well.

Cooling Water Flow Rate Calculation for Hearth of Large Blast Furnaces

The cooling water flow rate for hearth of large blast furnaces was calculated by simulation. The results show that the cooling water flow rate shall be above 4 200m3/ h for hearth of large blast furnaces; to meet requirements of the increasing smelting intensity and to ensure the safety at the end of the first campaign,the designed maximum cooling water flow rate should be 5 900m3/ h; according to the flow distribution stability and the calculated resistance loss,hearth cooling stave pipes with the specification of 76 mm × 6 mm shall be adopted to assure the flow velocity in pipes of hearth cooling stave in the range of 1. 9- 2. 3 m / s.

Technical and economic analysis of Ni-containing hot metal production with laterite in blast furnaces

In recent years, many Ni-containing materials manufactured from laterite have played a significant role in supporting the rapid development of the stainless steel industry in China. Currently ,pyrometallurgy is the main process for laterite smelting, where blast furnaces are employed to make Ni-containing hot metal. With the aim of giving some references for making good use of laterite, technical and economic analysis was conducted in this paper, based on the discussion of the key technologies of Ni-containing hot metal production with laterite （50.4% Fe） in blast furnaces.

Kaolinite Refractory Bricks for Blast Furnaces

This standard is suitable to the fireclay bricks for blast furnace.

Bauxite Based Refractory Bricks for Blast Furnaces

This standard is applicable to the bauxite based refractory bricks under the bosh for blast furnaces.