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30 - Fe2O3
Iron ore
Oxygen %
20 -
Direct molten steelmaking Blast furnace and Smelting Reduction Liquid steel
10 -
Scrap
0 -
Carbon %
5 -
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Temperature OC
Hot metal production rates of 8000-10,000 tpd, fuel rates of around 450-470 kg/thm (270-275 kg coke plus 175-225 kg coal), furnace availability ranging between 95-98% and campaign life of 15-20 years are benchmarks today.
130 80 59 63 38 35 34 8 21
BF inner volume, m 3
In 2007, there were around 490 BFs varying in size from 500 to 6000 m3 inner volume
DEVELOPMENTS IN BF IRONMAKING
Production, t/day Working volume, m3 Productivity, t/m3/day* Top pressure, kg/cm2 Oxygen enrichment, % Burden, % Sinter (S), Ore (O), Pellets (P) Al2O3 in sinter, % Coke ash, % Coke rate, kg/thm PCI rate, kg/thm Slag rate, kg/thm
10,233 3790 2.7 2.25 4.0 50(S) 50(P) 1.54 9.5 365 125 236
10,051 NA 2.47 2.2 2.4 93(S) 7(P) 1.84 10.2 392 71(Oil) 286
5150 2308 2.2 1.3 4.6 70(S) 30(O) 2.4 15.4 410 120 300
Today, in many countries, coke consumption even as low as 270290 kg/thm has been achieved at coal injection rates of 190-220 kg/thm, with a coke to coal replacement ratio in the range of 0.9-1.08.
448
458
NOMENCLATURE OF REACTIONS IN A BF
The reduction of iron oxides by CO and H2 is traditionally known as Indirect Reduction in blast furnace ironmaking. This is meant to distinguish it from the reduction by solid carbon, which is called Direct Reduction. Gas-solid reactions are much faster than reactions between two solids. Therefore, maximum of indirect reduction is the goal. Utilisation of hydrogen as a reductant has definite advantage. Disadvantage is -----.
Endothermic reaction
Importance of porosity assessed by microscopic examination of reduced iron oxide. Topo-chemical reduction has three concentric layers magnetite, wustite, metallic iron each layer same shape as outer surface in case of dense oxides. Porous oxides has similar structure in individual particles.
Reduction by hydrogen
Reduction by CO
Initially, reduction by hydrogen is faster than carbon monoxide. Magnetite reduced by hydrogen contains grains of wustite completely enveloped in dense layers of metallic iron. In CO reduction, metallic iron layers consist of almost pure pearlite. Carbon can diffuse very rapidly in austenite so that at the interface between austenite and wustite, carbon is available to complete the reduction. In case of hydrogen, reduction is incomplete. Solid-state diffusion of ferrous iron through wustite much greater than gaseous diffusion of hydrogen or CO through ore particles. Therefore, solid-state diffusion in the stack region is not the rate controlling step in BF ironmaking.
Height of BF
BF NOMENCLATURE
CONCEPT OF RAFT
From sensible heat of the flame, its temperature is calculated. This is known as Raceway Adiabatic Flame Temperature (RAFT). Heat content of flame = mass of gas in the flame average specific heat of gas (RAFT 298) Change in Operating Variable Blast temperature raised by 1000C Blast oxygen raised by 1% Blast moisture raised by 5g/Nm3 1% methane added to blast Change in RAFT , 0C +82 +53 -28 -56
(5.1%) Others (6.2%) Labour & Admn. (2.5%) Maintenance (2.5%) Relining (1.3%) (4.7%) Blowing Refractories cost
(47.4%) Coke
Lean local ores Rich seaborne ores Oil injection/high blast temperature/ oxygen enrichment High top pressure/burden distribution and permeability control Coal injection/improved sinter coke quality Increased coal/gas/oil injection Continued use of metallics in the burden
Blast temperature, oC Humidity, g/Nm3 Oxygen in blast, % Gas utilisation, % Hot metal temperature, oC Si in hot metal, %
2000
YEAR
2025-2030
Future Recent
Lump ore, sinter, pellets Coke from metallurgical coal and PCI
Conventional
Fine ores
Lump ore
Scrap substitutes
Post Combustion Final Reduction Melting Coal Gasification Coal Oxygen/Air Hot Metal
Pre-reduction Degree, Extent of Post Combustion and Heat Transfer Efficiency are critical for success of all SR processes.
Blast furnace Lump ore, Coke, coal, Hot metal including mini sinter, pellets oil, tar, essentially for BOF blast furnace natural gas steelmaking Smelting reduction Ore fines, lump ore, waste iron oxides Coal, oxygen, electricity Hot metal (synthetic hot metal) for EAF / EOF steelmaking
Ore Coal
Gas
Reduction
O2
Gas
Three stage
REDUCTION STEPS IN SR Reduction by solid carbon Reduction by carbon dissolved in Iron Reduction of molten FeO by CO
Inmetco Capacity - 60,000 tpa. Suitable for zinc-bearing iron ores. FastMelt 2 operating plants mainly for smelting solid wastes from ISPs. Capacity 150,000-1,000,000 tpa
COMMERCIALISED SR PROCESSES
Corex Many operating units; most popular SR process. Typical iron oxide Lump ore Pellets Sinter
Fetotal Grain size, mm 62 - 65 8 - 20 62 - 65 8 - 16 50 - 55 10 - 30
HIsmelt Nucor, Rio Tinto, Mitsubishi and Shougang (of PR of China) agreed to construct a 0.8 Mtpa plant at Kwinana in Western Australia after pilot plant tests were completed at the same location. The plant had produced more than 37,000 tonnes of hot metal in total till March 2006. Has been stopped thereafter.
Finex is certainly of interest to ISPs. Whether it can be used to supply limited tonnages of hot metal to EAFs?
Over last 10-12 years has gone through laboratory, small pilot plant and demonstration plant testing. Nuggets melted in EAFs. A commercial plant (0.5 mtpa) Mesabi Nuggets at North-Eastern Minnesota, USA has been started. Could be of immense interest to Indian Secondary Producers in future.
Ironmaking
BF and SR
THANK YOU
IIT, Kharagpur, 26th October 2010