Carbon solubility in liquid iron containing V, Mo and Ni

Abstract

Liquid iron alloys containing V, Mo, and Ni can be produced by the carbothermic reduction of spent catalysts used in petrochemical industry. Thermodynamics of carbon in these alloy melts is important for refining these alloys. In the present study, the carbon solubility in FeV, FeMo, FeNi, FeVMo, FeVNi, FeMoNi and FeVMoNi alloy melts of various compositions was measured at 1873 K. The additions of vanadium and molybdenum significantly increased the carbon solubility in liquid iron alloys while nickel decreased the carbon solubility. The temperature dependency of carbon solubility in FeV melt was also measured in the temperature range from 1823 to 1923 K. The present and previous experimental results were thermodynamically analyzed using Lupis' relation at constant activity to determine the first- and the secondorder interaction parameters of vanadium, molybdenum and nickel on carbon at carbon saturated condition in liquid iron alloys. Using thermodynamic parameters determined in the present study, the carbon solubility in FeVMoNi alloy melts of various composition were accurately predicted and verified experimentally at 1873 K. © 2013 The Japan Institute of Metals and Materials.