Smelting of titanium-magnetite metallized pellets from the Tebinbulak deposit ore in submerged arc furnaces

Abstract

Utilization of titanium-magnetite ores as complex raw materials aimed at extraction of iron and vanadium is an important and actual task. Technological capability of titanium-magnetite pellets application produced from the Tebinbulak deposit ore was studied for obtaining sponge iron and its further use in the production of liquid iron. Integrated theoretical and experimental studies of Tebinbulak deposit ore were carried out within the framework of the state program of the Republic of Uzbekistan by the company JSC “Uzbek Railways” (Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent) in cooperation with Horst Wiesinger Consulting (Austria, Linz) on the basis of the Research Center of the Leoben Mining University (MUL, Austria, Leoben), Studiengesellschaft für Eisenerzaufbereitung (SGA, Germany, Liebenburg-Othfresen) with the participation of the North Caucasus Mining and Metallurgical Institute (State Technological University) (Russia, Vladikavkaz). Experiments on direct solid-phase reduction of fired oxidized pellets have been implemented in a vertical retort in a hydrogen atmosphere at a temperature of 800 °C. As a result of the tests, the planned degree of metallization of the pellets was achieved, which averaged 93%. The obtained metallized pellets were melted in a 45 l volume furnace with a submerged electric arc. As a result of the tests, the target value of the carbon content in the liquid iron was achieved, which amounted for 4.3 – 4.6%. It was noted that according to the results of two heats, TiO 2 almost completely passed into the slag phase, where its average value was 3.55%.Average vanadium content of the liquid iron was 0.16%. During the studies it was found that at a chemically measured value from 0.71 to 0.73% V 2 O 5 in metallized pellets, the calculated theoretical maximum content of vanadium in liquid iron 0.49% can be achieved, providing all vanadium remains in the metal phase.