Diffusion and reaction mechanism of limestone and quartz in fluxed iron ore pellet roasting process

The increase to the proportion of fluxed pellets in the blast furnace burden is a useful way to reduce the carbon emissions in the ironmaking process.In this study,the interaction between calcium carbonate and iron ore powder and the mineralization mechanism of fluxed iron ore pellet in the roasting process were investigated through diffusion couple experiments.Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy was used to study the elements’diffusion and phase transformation during the roasting process.The results indicated that limestone decomposed into calcium oxide,and magnetite was oxidized to hematite at the early stage of preheating.With the increase in roasting temperature,the diffusion rate of Fe and Ca was obviously accelerated,while the diffusion rate of Si was relatively slow.The order of magnitude of interdiffusion coefficient of Fe_(2)O_(3)-CaO diffusion couple was 10^(−10) m^(2)·s^(−1) at a roasting temperature of 1200℃for 9 h.Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5) was the initial product in the Fe_(2)O_(3)-CaO-SiO_(2) diffusion interface,and then Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5) continued to react with Fe_(2)O_(3) to form CaFe_(2)O_(4).With the expansion of the diffusion region,the sillico-ferrite of calcium liquid phase was produced due to the melting of SiO_(2) into CaFe_(2)O_(4),which can strengthen the consolidation of fluxed pellets.Furthermore,andradite would be formed around a small part of quartz particles,which is also conducive to the consolidation of fluxed pellets.In addition,the principle diagram of limestone and quartz diffusion reaction in the process of fluxed pellet roasting was discussed.

Bulk geochemistry,Rb-Sr,Sm-Nd,and stable O-H isotope systematics of the Metzimevin high-grade iron ore deposit,Mbalam iron ore district,southern Cameroon

Bulk geochemistry,Sr,Nd,and O-H isotope systematics are reported for the first time on banded iron formation(BIF)-hosted high-grade iron ore at the northwestern segment of Congo Craton(CC).Located in Mbalam iron ore district,Southern Cameroon,Metzimevin iron ore deposit is a hematite-magnetite BIF system,dominated by SiO_(2)+Fe_(2)O_(3)(97.1 to 99.84 wt%),with low concentrations of clastic elements e.g.,Al_(2)O_(3),TiO_(2),and HFSE,depicting a nearly pure chemical precipitate.The REE+Y signature of the iron deposit displays strong positive Eu anomaly,strong negative Ce anomaly,and chondritic to superchondritic Y/Ho ratios,suggestive of formation by mixed seawater-high temperature hydrothermal fluids in oxidising environment.The^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios of the BIF are higher than the maximum^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr evolution curves for all Archean reservoirs(bulk silicate earth,Archean crust and Archean seawater),indicating involvement of continentally-derived components during BIF formation and alteration.TheƐ_(Nd)(t)(+2.26 to+3.77)and Nd model age indicate that chemical constituents for the BIF were derived from undifferentiated crustal source,between 3.002 and 2.88 Ga.The variable and diverse O and H isotope data(−1.9‰to 17.3‰and−57‰to 136‰respectively)indicate that the Metzimevin iron ore formed initially from magmatic plumes and later enriched by magmatic-metamorphic-modified meteoric fluids.Mass balance calculations indicate mineralisation by combined leaching and precipitation,with an average iron enrichment factor of>2.67 and SiO_(2)depletion factor of>0.99.This is associated with an overall volume reduction of 28.27%,reflecting net leaching and volume collapse of the BIF protholith.

Determination of critical state line(CSL)for silty-sandy iron ore tailings subjected to low-high confining pressures

The disposal of filtered tailings in high dry stacks can induce particle breakage,changing the material's behaviour during the structure's lifetime.The grading changes influence material properties at the critical state,and this is not mature for intermediate artificial soils(tailings)in a broad range of confining pressures.In this paper,it aims to describe the behaviour of iron ore tailings in a spectrum of confining pressures broader than the reported in previous studies.A series of consolidated drained(CD)triaxial tests was carried out with confining pressures ranging from 0.075 MPa to 120 MPa.These results show that the amount of breakage plays an essential role in the response of iron ore tailings.The existence of curved critical state line(CSL)in both specific volume(ν)-logarithm of mean effective stress(p′)and deviatoric stress(q)-mean effective stress(p′)planes,and different responses in the deviatoric stress-axial strain-volumetric strain curves were verified.An inverse S-shaped equation was proposed to represent the silty-sandy tailings'behaviour up to high pressures onν-lnp′plane.The proposed equation provides a basis for enhancing constitutive models and considers the evolution of the grading up to severe loading conditions.The adjustment considered three regions with different responses associated with particle breakage at different pressure levels.

Leaching behaviors of iron and aluminum elements of ion-absorbed-rare-earth ore with a new impurity depressant

Ion-absorbed rare-earth ore is an important mineral resource which is widely extracted by in-situ leaching process. And such process generates a significant amount of impurities such as aluminum and iron ions in leaching solution simultaneously. The surface characteristics and interactions by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were studied to optimize the leaching conditions. It is found that the environment-friendly depressant LG-01 can react with the impurity ions through the formation of a new complex on the surface of leaching residues. Thus, it reduces significantly the concentration of impurity ions in leaching solution and improves the leaching rate of rare-earth ore. Moreover, a leaching rate of 95.6% and an impurity removal rate of 92% have been achieved under the optimized conditions.

Non-isothermal thermal decomposition kinetics of high iron gibbsite ore based on Popescu method

The thermal decomposition kinetics of high iron gibbsite ore was investigated under non-isothermal conditions.Popescu method was applied to analyzing the thermal decomposition mechanism.The results show that the most probable thermal decomposition mechanism is the three-dimensional diffusion model of Jander equation,and the mechanism code is D3.The activation energy and pre-exponential factor for thermal decomposition of high iron gibbsite ore calculated by the Popescu method are 75.36 kJ/mol and 1.51×10-5 s-（-1）,respectively.The correctness of the obtained mechanism function is validated by the activation energy acquired by the iso-conversional method.Popescu method is a rational and reliable method for the analysis of the thermal decomposition mechanism of high iron gibbsite ore.

Recovery of iron from high phosphorus oolitic iron ore using coal-based reduction followed by magnetic separation

Oolitic iron ore is one of the most important iron resources. This paper reports the recovery of iron from high phosphorus oolitic iron ore using coal-based reduction and magnetic separation. The influences of reduction temperature, reduction time, C/O mole ratio, and CaO content on the metallization degree and iron recovery were investigated in detail. Experimental results show that reduced products with the metallization degree of 95.82% could be produced under the optimal conditions （i.e., reduction temperature, 1250℃; reduction time, 50 min; C/O mole ratio, 2.0; and CaO content, 10wt%）. The magnetic concentrate containing 89.63wt% Fe with the iron recovery of 96.21% was obtained. According to the mineralogical and morphologic analysis, the iron minerals had been reduced and iron was mainly enriched into the metallic iron phase embedded in the slag matrix in the form of spherical particles. Apatite was also reduced to phosphorus, which partially migrated into the metallic iron phase.

Settling characteristics of ultrafine iron ore slimes

The slurry settling characteristics are the most important to design a thickener in process industries. In this work, the iron ore slurry from the screw classifier overflow was used for the settling study. It was observed that the original slurry exhibited a low settling velocity and a turbid supernatant during the settling process. Commercial flocculating agents with anionic, cationic, and nonionic characters were used to improve the settling behavior of suspensions, which were added into the slurry at different ranges of slurry pH values, respectively. The settling results show that the use of flocculants increase the settling rate by several times. Compared with the cationic and non-ionic flocculants, the anionic flocculant is more effective in enhancing the slurry settling rate. The small dose of the anionic flocculant is found to be more effective, but the other flocculants are less effective even at higher dosages. The simulation of an industrial thickener was carried out based on the laboratory settling data, and the appropriate design and selection parameters of the industrial thickener were estimated.

Influence of flux additives on iron ore oxidized pellets

Six additives,i.e.,limestone,lime,magnesite,magnesia,dolomite and light-burned-dolomite,were added for investigating their influences on the pellet quality.For green balls,adding lime and light-burned-dolomite makes the wet drop strength decrease firstly,and then increase with further increase of additive dosage.Ca(OH)2 affects the bentonite properties at the beginning,but the binding property of Ca(OH)2 will be main when the dosage is higher.The other four additives decrease the drop strength for their disadvantageous physical properties.For preheated pellets,no mater what kind of additive is added,the compressive strength will be decreased because of unmineralized additives.For roasted pellets,calcium additives can form binding phase of calcium-ferrite,and suitable liquid phase will improve recrystallization of hematite,but excessive liquid will destroy the structure of pellets,so the compressive strength of pellet increases firstly and then drops.When adding magnesium additives,the strength will be decreased because of the oxidation of magnetite retarded by MgO.

Ore-blending optimization model for sintering process based on characteristics of iron ores

An ore-blending optimization model for the sintering process is an intelligent system that includes iron ore characteristics, expert knowledge and material balance. In the present work, 14 indices are proposed to represent chemical composition, granulating properties and high temperature properties of iron ores. After the relationships between iron ore characteristics and sintering performance are established, the ＂two-step＂ method and the simplex method are introduced to build the model by distinguishing the calculation of optimized blending proportion of iron ores from that of other sintering materials in order to improve calculation efficiency. The ore-blending optimization model, programmed by Access and Visual Basic, is applied to practical production in steel mills and the results prove that the present model can take advantage of the available iron ore resource with stable sinter yield and quality performance but at a lower cost.

Iron ore tailings used for the preparation of cementitious material by compound thermal activation

In the background of little reuse and large stockpile for iron ore tailings, iron ore tailing from Chinese Tonghua were used as raw material to prepare cementitious materials. Cementitious properties of the iron ore tailings activated by compound thermal activation were studied. Testing methods, such as XRD, TG-DTA, and IR were used for researching the phase and structure variety of the iron ore railings in the process of compound thermal activation. The results reveal that a new cementitious material that contains 30wt% of the iron ore tailings can be obtained by compounded thermal activation, whose mortar strength can come up to the standard of 42.5 cement of China.

Upgrading and dephosphorization of Western Australian iron ore using reduction roasting by adding sodium carbonate

The technology of direct reduction by adding sodium carbonate （Na2CO3） and magnetic separation was developed to treat Western Australian high phosphorus iron ore. The iron ore and reduced product were investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that phosphorus exists within limonite in the form of solid solution, which cannot be removed through traditional ways. During reduction roasting, Na2CO3 reacts with gangue minerals （SiO2 and A1203）, forming aluminum silicate-containing phosphorus and damaging the ore structure, which promotes the separation between iron and phosphorus during magnetic separation. Meanwhile, Na2CO3 also improves the growth of iron grains, increasing the iron grade and iron recovery. The iron concentrate, assaying 94.12wt% Fe and 0.07wt% P at the iron recovery of 96.83% and the dephosphorization rate of 74.08%, is obtained under the optimum conditions. The final product （metal iron powder） after briquetting can be used as the burden for steelmaking by an alactrie a.re furnace to rer）la,ce scrar） steel.

Reconstruction of broken Si–O–Si bonds in iron ore tailings (IOTs) in concrete

This paper reports a study on the reconstruction of broken Si O Si bonds in iron ore tailings (IOTs) in concrete. Limestone and IOTs were used to investigate the influence of different types of coarse aggregates on the compressive strengths of concrete samples. The dif- ferences in interfacial transition zones (ITZs) between aggregate and paste were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ener- gy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Meanwhile, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were used to study microscopic changes in limestone and IOTs powders in a simple alkaline environment that simulated cement. The results show that the compressive strengths of IOTs concrete or paste are higher than those of limestone concrete or paste under identical conditions. The Ca/Si atom ratios in the ITZs of IOTs con- crete samples are lower than those of limestone concrete;the diffraction peak of the calcium silicate phase at 2θ = 29.5°, as well as the bands of Si O bonds shifting to lower wavenumbers, indicates reconstruction of the broken Si-O-Si bonds on the surfaces of IOTs with Ca(OH)2.

Distribution behavior of phosphorus in the coal-based reduction of high-phosphorus-content oolitic iron ore

This study focuses on the reduction of phosphorus from high-phosphorus-content oolitic iron ore via coal-based reduction. The distribution behavior of phosphorus （i.e., the phosphorus content and the phosphorus distribution ratio in the metal, slag, and gas phases） during reduction was investigated in detail. Experimental results showed that the distribution behavior of phosphorus was strongly influenced by the reduction temperature, the reduction time, and the C/O molar ratio. A higher temperature and a longer reaction time were more favor-able for phosphorus reduction and enrichment in the metal phase. An increase in the C/O ratio improved phosphorus reduction but also hin-dered the mass transfer of the reduced phosphorus when the C/O ratio exceeded 2.0. According to scanning electron microscopy analysis, the iron ore was transformed from an integral structure to metal and slag fractions during the reduction process. Apatite in the ore was reduced to P, and the reduced P was mainly enriched in the metal phase. These results suggest that the proposed method may enable utilization of high-phosphorus-content oolitic iron ore resources.

Formation and characterization of metallic iron grains in coal-based reduction of oolitic iron ore

To reveal the formation and characteristics of metallic iron grains in coal-based reduction, oolitic iron ore was isothermally re- duced in various reduction times at various reduction temperatures. The microstructure and size of the metallic iron phase were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and a Bgrimm process mineralogy analyzer. In the results, the re- duced Fe separates from the ore and forms metallic iron protuberances, and then the subsequent reduced Fe diffuses to the protuberances and grows into metallic iron grains. Most of the metallic iron grains exist in the quasi-spherical shape and inlaid in the slag matrix. The cumula- tive frequency of metallic iron grain size is markedly influenced by both reduction time and temperature. With increasing reduction temperature and time, the grain size of metallic iron obviously increases. According to the classical grain growth equation, the growth kinetic parameters, i.e., time exponent, growth activation energy, and pre-exponential constant, are estimated to be 1.3759 ± 0.0374, 103.18 kJ·mol^-1, and 922.05, respec- tively. Using these calculated parameters, a growth model is established to describe the growth behavior of metallic iron grains.

Removal of phosphorus from iron ores by chemical leaching

Alkali-leaching and acid-leaching were proposed for the dephosphorization of Changde iron ore, which contains an average of 1.12% for phosphorus content. Sodium hydroxide, sulfuriced, hydrochloric and nitric acids were used for the preparation of leach solutions. The results show that phosphorus occurring as apatite phase could be removed by alkali-leaching, but those occurring in the iron phase could not. Sulfuric acid is the most effective among the three kinds of acid. 91.61% phosphorus removal was attained with 1% sulfuric acid after leaching for 20 rain at room temperature. Iron loss during acid-leaching can be negligible, which was less than 0.25%.The pH value of solution after leaching with1% sulfuric acid was about 0.86, which means acid would not be exhausted during the process and it could be recycled, and the recycle of sulfuric acid solution would make the dephosphorization process more economical.

High-temperature performance prediction of iron ore fines and the ore-blending programming problem in sintering

The high-temperature performance of iron ore fmes is an important factor in optimizing ore blending in sintering. However, the application of linear regression analysis and the linear combination method in most other studies always leads to a large deviation from the desired results. In this study, the fuzzy membership functions of the assimilation ability temperature and the liquid fluidity were proposed based on the fuzzy mathematics theory to construct a model for predicting the high-temperature performance of mixed iron ore. Comparisons of the prediction model and experimental results were presented. The results illustrate that the prediction model is more accurate and effective than previously developed models. In addition, fuzzy constraints for the high-temperature performance of iron ore in this research make the results of ore blending more comparable. A solution for the quantitative calculation as well as the programming of fuzzy constraints is also introduced.

Migration behaviors and kinetics of phosphorus during coal-based reduction of high-phosphorus oolitic iron ore

To understand the migration mechanisms of phosphorus(P)during coal-based reduction,a high-phosphorus oolitic iron ore was reduced by coal under various experimental conditions.The migration characteristics and kinetics of P were investigated by a field-emission electron probe microanalyzer(FE-EPMA)and using the basic principle of solid phase mass transfer,respectively.Experimental results showed that the P transferred from the slag to the metallic phase during reduction,and the migration process could be divided into three stages:phosphorus diffusing from the slag to the metallic interface,the formation of Fe P compounds at the slag metal interface and P diffusing from the slag metal interface to the metallic interior.The reduction time and temperature significantly influenced the phosphorus content of the metallic and slag phases.The P content of the metallic phase increased with increasing reduction time and temperature,while that of the slag phase gradually decreased.The P diffusion constant and activation energy were determined and a migration kinetics model of P in coal-based reduction was proposed.P diffusion in the metallic phase was the controlling step of the P migration.

Morphological and mineralogical characterizations of oolitic iron ore in the Exi region, China

The morphological and mineralogical characterizations of a Chinese oolitic iron ore （Exi deposit） were studied by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in this work. It is shown that the Exi ore is mainly composed of hematite, quartz, apatite, and chlorite. The hematite is present as the oolitic layers and in the spaces between the aggregated ooids; quartz exists as granular particles in the spaces and as nucleuses in ooids; the harmful mineral, apatite, is associated with hematite as the oolitic layers, fine dissemination, granular particles in the spaces, and nucleuses in ooids. From the viewpoint of mineral beneficiation, it is hard to separate apatite and chlorite but easy to separate quartz from hematite in the Exi iron ore in recovering the iron values.

Mineral processing plant location using the analytic hierarchy process——a case study:the Sangan iron ore mine(phase 1)

Locating the mineral processing plant near a mine is the most important parameter that affects the whole process.Many factors,and their preferences,should be considered in this stage.The factors include economical,geological,technical,environmental and tectonic parameters.A multi-criteria decision making method is necessary to rank the alternatives.In this paper we describe how plant location is selected by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP).This method,with eight criteria,was used to select a location for the mineral processing plant at the Sangan iron ore mine(phase 1).Three alternatives for the processing plant were evaluated.The main criteria were distance from the mine,access to heavy machinery transport,the amount of excavation required for grading,bed mixture capacity,belt conveyor length,distance from the tailing dam,distance from the waste dumps and surface water diversion requirements.Finally,the alternatives were ranked and the best location was proposed.

Basic characteristics of Australian iron ore concentrate and its effects on sinter properties during the high-limonite sintering process

The basic characteristics of Australian iron ore concentrate (Ore-A) and its effects on sinter properties during a high-limonite sintering process were studied using micro-sinter and sinter pot methods. The results show that the Ore-A exhibits good granulation properties, strong liquid flow capability, high bonding phase strength and crystal strength, but poor assimilability. With increasing Ore-A ratio, the tumbler index and the reduction index (RI) of the sinter first increase and then decrease, whereas the softening interval (Delta T) and the softening start temperature (T (10%)) of the sinter exhibit the opposite behavior; the reduction degradation index (RDI+3.15) of the sinter increases linearly, but the sinter yield exhibits no obvious effects. With increasing Ore-A ratio, the distribution and crystallization of the minerals are improved, the main bonding phase first changes from silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) to kirschsteinite, silicate, and SFCA and then transforms to 2CaO center dot SiO2 and SFCA. Given the utilization of Ore-A and the improvement of the sinter properties, the Ore-A ratio in the high-limonite sintering process is suggested to be controlled at approximately 6wt%.