Effect of Al2O3 Addition on the Precipitated Phase Transformation in Ti-Bearing Blast Furnace Slags

Abstract

The present paper aims to provide a fundamental understanding on phase change of Ti-enriched crystalline phase induced by Al2O3 addition in Ti-bearing blast furnace slags with different basicities using Single Hot Thermocouple Technique and X-ray Diffraction. The results showed that an increase in the Al2O3 content led to phase change from rutile or perovskite to Mg3Al4Ti8O25 and prompted crystallization of the slags with basicity of 0.60 and 0.75, whereas only CaTiO3 was precipitated at a basicity of 0.95. Both thermodynamic and kinetic analyses were conducted to study the slag crystallization, which would throw light on phase change and enhanced crystallization. To further reveal the relationship with Al2O3 addition on slag structure and crystallization, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance were adopted, with AlO4 tetrahedra and AlO6 octahedra observed in the slag. For slags with the basicity of 0.60 and 0.75, AlO6 octahedron, which was suggested to induce the phase change from TiO2 or CaTiO3 to Mg3Al4Ti8O25, was detected at high Al2O3 content. On the other hand, in slags with the basicity of 0.95, abundant Ca2+ may be connected to TiO6 octahedra, resulting in CaTiO3 formation.