Effect of Experimental Conditions on Cementite Formation During Reduction of Iron Ore Pellets

Abstract

Experiments have been carried out to study the effect of temperature, gas composition, residence time, and type of iron ore pellets on formation of cementite during gaseous reduction of hematite. Industrial iron ore pellets have been reduced isothermally in a gas mixture with H2 and CO as main components. The presence of Fe3C in the partially reduced pellets shows that reduction and cementite formation take place at the same time. The maximum content of cementite is identified in the samples reduced by H2-CO at 1123 K (850 °C). The decrease in the carbide content due to addition of 1 pct CO2 to the initial gas mixture reveals the major influence of carbon potential in the gas atmosphere. Further increase of CO2 content increases the Fe3C. The variations of the amount of cementite with the CO2 content suggest that both the thermodynamics and kinetics of cementite formation are affected by the gas composition. Cementite decomposes to graphite and iron particles in reducing and inert atmospheres as the residence time of pellets at high temperature is increased above 60 minutes.