Thermogravimetric analysis on reduction behavior of powdery dicalcium ferrite

Abstract

Dicalcium ferrite (2CaO·Fe2O3, C2F) is one of the most significant bonding phase of fluxed sinters. Reduction of C2F was investigated via thermal kinetics analysis. The isothermal reduction behavior of C2F by 30% H2 and 70% N2 at 1123 K (850 °C), 1173 K (900 °C), and 1223 K (950 °C) were discussed by thermogravimetric analysis in this paper. The results revealed that the C2F reduction was typical one-step reaction. The apparent activation energy of the C2F reduction was 27.40, kJ/mol. The rate-determining steps of the C2F reduction were the first inner gas diffusion, then the inner gas diffusion and interface chemical reaction mixed controlling. The ln-ln analysis implied that the C2F reduction was described by the Avrami–Erofeev (A-E) equation, thus appeared as a 2D A-E equation kinetics reaction.