Abstract
During the vanadium extraction process in basic oxygen furnace (BOF), unduly high temperature is unfavorable to achieve efficient vanadium yield with minimum carbon loss. A new temperature strategy was developed based on industrial experiments. The new strategy applies the selective oxidation temperature between carbon and vanadium (Tsl) and the equilibrium temperature of vanadium oxidation and reduction (Teq) for the earlier and middle-late smelting, respectively. Industrial experiments showed 56.9 wt% of V was removed together with carbon loss for 5.6 wt% only in the earlier smelting. Additionally, 30 wt% of vanadium was removed together with carbon loss by 13.4 wt% in middle-late smelting. Applicability analyses confirmed Teq as the high-limit temperature, vanadium removal remains low and carbon loss increased sharply when the molten bath temperature exceeded Teq. With the optimized temperature strategy, vanadium removal increased from 69.2 wt% to 92.3 wt% with a promotion by 23 wt%.
Highlights
Vanadium is a widely used rare metal in many areas such as steel-making, aerospace, and chemical industries [1,2]. It is usually found as a by-product in vanadium-titanium magnetite (VTM), and the most popular method of treating vanadium-bearing hot metal is oxygen blow smelting in converter to form vanadium-enriching slag and semi-steel [3]
Huang’s study employed the temperature control strategy based on Tsl. It showed that carbon loss must be accepted when the molten bath temperature exceeds Tsl for ‘deep devanadium’, and vanadium removal decreased when the molten bath temperature exceeded Tsl in the middle-late smelting
Previous studies mostly focused on vanadium removal, the reduction of (V2O3) by C and carbon loss in molten iron was totally ignored [7]
Summary
Vanadium is a widely used rare metal in many areas such as steel-making, aerospace, and chemical industries [1,2]. Vanadium extraction process demands ‘deep devanadium’ and ‘minimum carbon loss’ simultaneously. The selective oxidation temperature between carbon and vanadium, Tsl, a thermodynamic temperature, used to be considered as a key to ensure smelting steps. It related to the transformation from preferential V removal to C [5,6]. The molten bath temperatures, compositions of metal and slag measured in industrial experiments were listed in Tables 3 and 4.
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