Reduction rate of cement bonded laterite briquette with CO-CO2 gas

Abstract

In order to use the laterite as a raw material in ironmaking process, reduction rate of cement bonded laterite briquettes was investigated. The reduction experiments were carried out at temperature range of 973 - 1273 K in a thermobalance reactor using two differences CO gas concentration. Reduction of laterite using CO - CO2 (30/70 vol.%) resulted in reducing of hematite to magnetite where nickel and cobalt completely reduced to metallic state. In the reduction using CO - CO2 (90/10 vol.%) indicated that the nickel, cobalt and iron oxides were reduced to metallic. A kinetic analysis of the reduction was conducted on the basis of the one interface reaction model considering intraparticle diffusion and chemical reaction of Fe203 in laterite. The results indicated that the reduction mechanism of laterite was mixed control of chemical reaction and CO - CO2 diffusion through the reacted laterite layer.