Kinetics of the carbon-oxygen reaction in molten iron

Abstract

The kinetics of carbon monoxide absorption by stagnant liquid iron has been investigated over the first 10 min or so of gas-liquid metal contact. On the basis of experiments conducted at temperatures ranging between 1580° and 1700°C (PCO= 1 atm) and carbon monoxide pressures ranging between 0.1 and 1.5 atm (at 1600†C), it was concluded that the absorption kinetics of CO in liquid iron was diffusion controlled. Mass transfer equations developed to describe the process were adapted to define an “apparent diffusion coefficient” of carbon monoxide. This coefficient is a function of carbon and oxygen binary diffusion coefficients, and also depends on the initial bulk oxygen and carbon concentrations, and on the equilibrium constant for the reaction. CO = C + O Experimental DCOvalues averaged at 9.8 10−5cm2s−1, while binary carbon and oxygen diffusivities were computed to be 41.2 10−5 and 5.2 10−T5cm2s−1 respectively. Using the data obtained, the relative influence of carbon and oxygen diffusion on the kinetics of carburization and decarburization reactions is quantitatively considered.