Upgrading and dephosphorization of Western Australian iron ore using reduction roasting by adding sodium carbonate

The technology of direct reduction by adding sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) and magnetic separation was developed to treat Western Australian high phosphorus iron ore. The iron ore and reduced product were investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that phosphorus exists within limonite in the form of solid solution, which cannot be removed through traditional ways. During reduction roasting, Na₂CO₃ reacts with gangue minerals (SiO₂ and Al₂O₃), forming aluminum silicate-containing phosphorus and damaging the ore structure, which promotes the separation between iron and phosphorus during magnetic separation. Meanwhile, Na₂CO₃ also improves the growth of iron grains, increasing the iron grade and iron recovery. The iron concentrate, assaying 94.12wt% Fe and 0.07wt% P at the iron recovery of 96.83% and the dephosphorization rate of 74.08%, is obtained under the optimum conditions. The final product (metal iron powder) after briquetting can be used as the burden for steelmaking by an electric arc furnace to replace scrap steel.     

Magnetic and flotation studies of banded hematite quartzite (BHQ) ore for the production of pellet grade concentrate

To identify and establish beneficiation techniques for banded hematite quartzite (BHQ) iron ore, a comprehensive research on BHQ ore treatment was carried out. The BHQ ore was assayed as 38.9wt% Fe, 42.5wt% SiO₂, and 1.0wt% Al₂O₃. In this ore, hematite and quartz are present as the major mineral phases where goethite, martite, and magnetite are present in small amounts. The liberation of hematite particles can be enhanced to about 82% by reducing the particle size to below 63 μm. The rejection of silica particles can be obtained by magnetic and flotation separation techniques. Overall, the BHQ ore can be enriched to 65.3wt% Fe at 61.9% iron recovery. A flowsheet has been suggested for the commercial exploitation of the BHQ ore.     

Occurrence mechanism of silicate and aluminosilicate minerals in Sarcheshmeh copper flotation concentrate

The Sarcheshmeh copper flotation circuit is producing 5×104 t copper concentrate per month with an averaging grade of 28% Cu in rougher, cleaner and recleaner stages. In recent years, with the increase in the open pit depth, the content of aluminosilicate minerals increased in plant feed and subsequently in flotation concentrate. It can motivate some problems, such as unwanted consumption of reagents, decreasing of the copper concentrate grade, increasing of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ in the copper concentrate, and needing a higher temperature in the smelting process. The evaluation of the composite samples related to the most critical working period of the plant shows that quartz, illite, biotite, chlorite, orthoclase, albeit, muscovite, and kaolinite are the major Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ beating minerals that accompany chalcopyrite, chalcocite, and covellite minerals in the plant feed. The severe alteration to clay minerals was a general rule in all thin sections that were prepared from the plant feed. Sieve analysis of the flotation concentrate shows that Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ bearing minerals in the flotation concentrate can be decreased by promoting the size reduction from 53 to 38 μm. Interlocking of the Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ bearing minerals with chalcopyrite and chalcocite is the occurrence mechanism of silicate and aluminosilicate minerals in the flotation concentrate. The dispersed form of interlocking is predominant.     

Performance evaluation for selectivity of the flocculant on hematite in selective flocculation

Increased demand for iron ore necessitates the utilization of low-grade iron ore fines, slimes, and existing tailings. Selective flocculation can be an alternative physico-chemical process for utilizing these low-grade fines, slimes, and tailings. In selective flocculation, the most critical objective is the selection of proper reagents that will make floc of desired minerals. In present study, selective flocculation was applied to ultra-fine synthetic mixtures of hematite and kaolinite, and the Fe value was upgraded up to 65.78% with the reduction of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ values to 2.65% and 3.66%, respectively. Here, degraded wheat starch was used as a flocculant.In this process, separation occurs on the basis of the selectivity of the flocculant. The selectivity of the flocculant can be quantified in terms of separation efficiency. Here, an attempt was also made to develop a correlation between separation efficiency and major operating parameters such as flocculent dose, pH value, and solid concentration to predict the separation performance.     

Optimization of flotation variables for the recovery of hematite particles from BHQ ore

The technology for beneficiation of banded iron ores containing low iron value is a challenging task due to increasing demand of quality iron ore in India. A flotation process has been developed to treat one such ore, namely banded hematite quartzite (BHQ) containing 41.8wt% Fe and 41.5wt% SiO₂, by using oleic acid, methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), and sodium silicate as the collector, frother, and dispersant, respectively. The relative effects of these variables have been evaluated in half-normal plots and Pareto charts using central composite rotatable design. A quadratic response model has been developed for both Fe grade and recovery and optimized within the experimental range. The optimum reagent dosages are found to be as follows: collector concentration of 243.58 g/t, dispersant concentration of 195.67 g/t, pH 8.69, and conditioning time of 4.8 min to achieve the maximum Fe grade of 64.25% with 67.33% recovery. The predictions of the model with regard to iron grade and recovery are in good agreement with the experimental results.     

基于铁矿粉液相流动性的塞拉利昂高铝铁矿配矿研究

以塞拉利昂高铝铁矿粉及其他5种烧结常用铁矿粉为原料,通过添加CaO、SiO2、Al2O3纯试剂改变铁矿粉中三种组分的含量,并分析了其对铁矿粉液相流动性的影响,比较了6类铁矿粉液相流动性对SiO2、Al2O3含量的敏感性差异,研究了混合矿粉液相流动性随塞拉利昂高铝铁矿粉配比的变化并进行了烧结试验。结果表明,随着CaO配比的增加,铁矿粉的液相流动性变好,其中塞拉利昂高铝铁矿粉变化的幅度最大;SiO2含量对塞拉利昂高铝铁矿粉液相流动性的影响较Al2O3含量更为明显;随着塞拉利昂高铝铁矿粉配比增加,混合矿粉的液相液动性指数降低,烧结矿的强度和成品率下降。     

Speciation of the elements and compositions on the surfaces of dust storm particles： The evidence for the coupling of iron with sulfur in aerosol during the long-range transport

The speciation of the elements on the surface of the particles collected during dust storm and non-dust storm in Beijing and Inner Mongolia was studied by XPS. The major species of iron on the surface were oxides, sulfate, silicate,FeOOH and minor part sorbed on SiO2/Al2O3. Sulfate is the dominant species of sulfur on the surface. SiO2 and Al2O3 are the main components of Si and Al on the surface respectively.One of the most important findings was that the Fe(Ⅱ) (FeS and FeSO4) produced could account for up to 44.3% and 45.6% of the total Fe on the surface in the aerosol sample collected at that night and next day of the “peak” time of the dust storm occurring on March 20, 2002, while Fe2(SO4)3,one of the Fe(Ⅲ) species on the surface decreased from 67.1% to 49.5% and 48.0% respectively. Both S and Fe enriched on the surface of aerosol particles. Fe(Ⅱ) accounted for 1.3%-5.3% of total Fe in bulk aerosol samples during dust storm. These results provided strong evidence to support the hypothesis of the coupling between iron and sulfur in aerosols during the long-range transport, which would have important impact on the global biogeochemical cycle.     

Alkaline digestion behavior and alumina extraction from sodium aluminosilicate generated in pyrometallurgical process

In pyrometallurgical process, Al-and Si-bearing minerals in iron and aluminum ores are easily transformed into sodium aluminosilicates in the presence of Na₂O constituents, which alters the leaching behaviors of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂. It was confirmed that sodium aluminosilicates with different phase compositions synthesized at various roasting conditions were effectively digested in the alkaline digestion process. Under the optimum conditions at temperature of 100-120℃, liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S) of 10:2 mL/g, caustic ratio of 4, and Na₂O concentration of 240 g/L, the actual and relative digestion ratio of Al₂O₃ from the synthesized sodium aluminosilicates reached maximums of about 65% and 95%, respectively, while SiO₂ was barely leached out. To validate the superior digestion property of sodium aluminosilicate generated via an actual process, the Bayer digestion of an Al₂O₃-rich material derived from reductive roasting of bauxite and comprising Na_1.75Al_1.75Si_0.25O₄ was conducted; the relative digestion ratio of Al₂O₃ attained 90% at 200℃.     

Fabrication of Fe–TiC–Al2O3 composites on the surface of steel using a TiO2–Al–C–Fe combustion reaction induced by gas tungsten arc cladding

The aim of the present study was to fabricate Fe–TiC–Al₂O₃ composites on the surface of medium carbon steel. For this purpose, TiO₂–3C and 3TiO₂–4Al–3C–xFe (0 ≤ x ≤ 4.6 by mole) mixtures were pre-placed on the surface of a medium carbon steel plate. The mixtures and substrate were then melted using a gas tungsten arc cladding process. The results show that the martensite forms in the layer produced by the TiO₂–3C mixture. However, ferrite–Fe₃C–TiC phases are the main phases in the microstructure of the clad layer produced by the 3TiO₂–4Al–3C mixture. The addition of Fe to the TiO₂–4Al–3C reactants with the content from 0 to 20wt% increases the volume fraction of particles, and a composite containing approximately 9vol% TiC and Al₂O₃ particles forms. This composite substantially improves the substrate hardness. The mechanism by which Fe particles enhance the TiC + Al₂O₃ volume fraction in the composite is determined.     

A novel process for Fe recovery and Zn,Pb removal from a low-grade pyrite cinder with high Zn and Pb contents

Comprehensive utilization of pyrite cinders is increasingly important because of their huge annual outputs and potential valuable metals recovery to cope with the gradual depletion of high-grade mineral resources. In this work, a new process, i.e., a high-temperature chlorination-magnetizing roasting-magnetic separation process, was proposed for recovering Fe and removing Zn, Pb from a low-grade pyrite cinder containing 49.90wt% Fe, 1.23wt% Zn, and 0.29wt% Pb. Various parameters, including the chlorinating conditions (dosage of CaCl₂, temperature, and time) and the magnetization roasting conditions (amount of coal, temperature, and time) were investigated. The results indicate that the proposed process is effective for Fe recovery and Zn, Pb removal from the pyrite cinder. Through this process, 97.06% Zn, 96.82% Pb, and approximately 90% S can be removed, and 89.74% Fe is recovered as magnetite into the final product under optimal conditions. A purified magnetite concentrate containing 63.07wt% Fe, 0.16wt% P, 0.26wt% S, and trace amounts of nonferrous metals (0.005wt% Cu, 0.013wt% Pb, and 0.051wt% Zn) was obtained. The concentrate can be potentially used as a high-quality feed material for producing oxidized pellets by blending with other high-grade iron ore concentrates.     

Dolochar as a reductant in the reduction roasting of iron ore slimes

The present investigation examines the viability of dolochar, a sponge iron industry waste material, as a reductant in the reduction roasting of iron ore slimes, which are another waste generated by iron ore beneficiation plants. Under statistically determined optimum conditions, which include a temperature of 900℃, a reductant-to-feed mass ratio of 0.35, and a reduction time of 30-45 min, the roasted mass, after being subjected to low-intensity magnetic separation, yielded an iron ore concentrate of approximately 64wt% Fe at a mass recovery of approximately 71% from the feed iron ore slime assaying 56.2wt% Fe. X-ray diffraction analyses indicated that the magnetic products contain magnetite and hematite as the major phases, whereas the nonmagnetic fractions contain quartz and hematite.     

Dissolution of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript> inclusions in CaO-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> slags at 1823 K

Al-Ti-O inclusions always clog submerged nozzles in Ti-bearing Al-killed steel. A typical synthesized Al₂TiO₅ inclusion was immersed in a CaO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃ molten slag for different durations at 1823 K. The Al₂TiO₅ dissolution paths and mechanism were revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Decreased amounts of Ti and Al and increased amounts of Si and Ca at the dissolution boundary prove that inclusion dissolution and slag penetration simultaneously occur. SiO₂ diffuses or penetrates the inclusion more quickly than CaO, as indicated by the w(CaO)/w(SiO₂) value in the reaction region. A liquid product (containing 0.7–1.2 w(CaO)/w(SiO₂), 15wt%–20wt% Al₂O₃, and 5wt%–15wt% TiO₂) forms on the inclusion surface when Al₂TiO₅ is dissolved in the slag. Al₂TiO₅ initially dissolves faster than the diffusion rate of the liquid product toward the bulk slag. With increasing reaction time, the boundary reaches its largest distance, the Al₂TiO₅ dissolution rate equals the liquid product diffusion rate, and the dissolution process remains stable until the inclusion is completely dissolved.     

Multi-index analysis of the melting process of laterite metallized pellet

Herein, a multi-index analysis of the nickel content of an alloy, output rate of the alloy, nickel recovery rate, and iron recovery rate during the melting of laterite metallized pellets was performed. The thermodynamic reduction behavior of oxides such as NiO, FeO, Fe₃O₄, and Cr₂O₃ was studied using the FactSage software, which revealed that SiO₂ is not conducive to the reduction of iron oxides, whereas the addition of basic oxides such as CaO and MgO is beneficial for the reduction of iron oxides. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis to achieve greater nickel recovery and lower iron recovery rates, the optimum experimental parameters in the orthogonal experiment were A3B1C3 (t=30 min, C/O=0.4, R=1.2); the indicators w_Ni, φ_alloy, η_Ni, and η_Fe had values of 15.0wt%, 12.1%, 44.9%, and 96.4%, respectively. In single-factor experiments, increasing basicity (R) substantially improved the separation effect in the low-basicity range 0.5 ≤ R ≤ 0.8 but not in the high-basicity range 0.8 ≤ R ≤ 1.2. Similar results were obtained for the effect of the C/O ratio. Moreover, the recovery rate of nickel increased with increasing recovery rate of iron.     

Mineralogical and sink-float studies of Jajarm low-grade bauxite

Jajarm’s bauxite deposits are mainly diasporic, and they have a low mass ratio of Al₂O₃/SiO₂. It is necessary to increase the run-of-mine mass ratio before feeding the material to the Bayer process. Chemical analysis indicated that the low-grade bauxite sample from Jajarm contained 43.9wt% Al₂O₃ and 13.35wt% SiO₂, resulting in a mass ratio of 3.29. According to mineralogical studies, the presence of aluminosilicate minerals such as kaolinite, illite, and quartz was the main reason for the decrease of the mass ratio. Microscopic observations revealed that, with the size reduction from -1000+710 to -38 μm, the liberation degree of diaspore increased from 10% to 60%, and that of aluminosilicates increased from 20% to 85%. Heavy liquids with the densities of 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, and 3.4 g/cm3 were used to evaluate the heavy media separation in three sizes, i.e., -3350+710, -710+212, and -212+125 μm. Laboratory studies confirm that the density of 3.2 g/cm3 can produce the concentrates (in sunk fractions) with recoveries of 89.09%, 91.24%, and 84.68% with the Al₂O₃/SiO₂ mass ratios of 5.03, 5.16, and 5.15 for the -3350+710, -710+212, and -212+125 μm sizes, respectively.     

Thermodynamic analysis of the carbothermic reduction of a high-phosphorus oolitic iron ore by FactSage

A thermodynamic analysis of the carbothermic reduction of high-phosphorus oolitic iron ore (HPOIO) was conducted by the FactSage thermochemical software. The effects of temperature, C/O ratio, additive types, and dosages both on the reduction of fluorapatite and the formation of liquid slag were studied. The results show that the minimum thermodynamic reduction temperature of fluorapatite by carbon decreases to about 850°C, which is mainly ascribed to the presence of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and Fe. The reduction rate of fluorapatite increases and the amount of liquid slag decreases with the rise of C/O ratio. The reduction of fluorapatite is hindered by the addition of CaO and Na₂CO₃, thereby allowing the selective reduction of iron oxides upon controlled C/O ratio. The thermodynamic results obtain in the present work are in good agreement with the experimental results available in the literatures.     

Effect of slag composition on the cleanliness of 28MnCr5 gear steel in the refining processes

The equilibrium reaction between CaO—Al₂O₃—SiO₂—MgO slag and 28MnCr5 molten steel was calculated to obtain the suitable slag composition which is effective for decreasing the oxygen content in molten steel. The dissolved oxygen content [O] in molten steel under different top slag conditions was calculated using a thermodynamic model and was measured using an electromotive force method in slag–steel equilibrium experiments at 1873 K. The relations among [O], the total oxygen content (T.O), and the composition of the slag were investigated. The experimental results show that both [O] and T.O decrease with decreasing SiO₂ content of the slag and exhibit different trends with the changes in the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio of the slag. Increasing the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio results in a decrease in [O] and an increase in T.O. To ensure that T.O ≤ 20 ppm and [O] ≤ 10 ppm, the SiO₂ content should be controlled to <5wt%, and the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio should be in the range from 1.2 to 1.6.     

Effect of aluminum oxide on the compressive strength of pellets

Analytical-reagent-grade Al₂O₃ was added to magnetite ore during the process of pelletizing, and the methods of mercury intrusion, scanning electron microscopy, and image processing were used to investigate the effect of Al₂O₃ on the compressive strength of the pellets. The results showed that, as the Al₂O₃ content increased, the compressive strength of the pellets increased slightly and then decreased gradually. When a small amount of Al₂O₃ was added to the pellets, the Al₂O₃ combined with fayalite (2FeO·SiO₂) and the aluminosilicate (2FeO·2Al₂O₃·5SiO₂) was generated, which releases some iron oxide and reduces the inhibition of fayalite to the solid phase of consolidation. When Al₂O₃ increased sequentially, high melting point of Al₂O₃ particles hinder the oxidation of Fe₃O₄ and the recrystallization of Fe2O3, making the internal porosity of the pellets increase, which leads to the decrease in compressive strength of the pellets.     

铁酸钙熔体对赤铁矿的渗透行为及对烧结强度的影响

考察了铁酸钙熔体添加SiO2或Al2O3对赤铁矿渗透行为的影响.采用以铁酸钙为粘结相的烧结赤铁矿试样,考察在铁酸钙中添加SiO2或Al2O3对烧结试样抗折和抗压强度的影响.试验结果表明,添加SiO2和Al2O3抑制了铁酸钙熔体对赤铁矿的渗透行为.在1300℃,恒温20min条件下,在铁酸钙中添加质量分数为2%的SiO2的烧结赤铁矿有最大的抗折和抗压强度,这是由于添加了SiO2的铁酸钙具有较短的熔化时间和较好的渗透性,在烧结过程中充分形成流动性好的液相,提高了粘结相固结铁矿石颗粒的作用.     

In situ reaction mechanism of MgAlON in Al-Al2O3-MgO composites at 1700℃ under flowing N2

The Al-Al₂O₃-MgO composites with added aluminum contents of approximately 0wt%, 5wt%, and 10wt%, named as M₁, M₂, and M₃, respectively, were prepared at 1700℃ for 5 h under a flowing N₂ atmosphere using the reaction sintering method. After sintering, the Al-Al₂O₃-MgO composites were characterized and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results show that specimen M₁ was composed of MgO and MgAl₂O₄. Compared with specimen M₁, specimens M₂ and M₃ possessed MgAlON, and its production increased with increasing aluminum addition. Under an N₂ atmosphere, MgO, Al₂O₃, and Al in the matrix of specimens M₂ and M₃ reacted to form MgAlON and AlN-polytypoids, which combined the particles and the matrix together and imparted the Al-Al₂O₃-MgO composites with a dense structure. The mechanism of MgAlON synthesis is described as follows. Under an N₂ atmosphere, the partial pressure of oxygen is quite low; thus, when the Al-Al₂O₃-MgO composites were soaked at 580℃ for an extended period, aluminum metal was transformed into AlN. With increasing temperature, Al₂O₃ diffused into AlN crystal lattices and formed AlN-polytypoids; however, MgO reacted with Al₂O₃ to form MgAl₂O₄. When the temperature was greater than (1640 ±10)℃, AlN diffused into Al₂O₃ and formed spinel-structured AlON. In situ MgAlON was acquired through a solid-solution reaction between AlON and MgAl₂O₄ at high temperatures because of their similar spinel structures.     

Effect of reverse flotation on magnetic separation concentrates

Reverse flotation studies on magnetite samples have revealed that the use of starch as a depressant of Fe-oxides has a hydrophilic effect on the surface of Fe-bearing silicates and significantly decreases Fe in the silica-rich stream when used in combination with an amine (Lilaflot D817M). In this study, the effect of reverse flotation on the optimization of products obtained from magnetic separation was investigated. Two different magnetic samples, zones 1 and 2, were milled to <75 μm and then subjected to low intensity magnetic separation (LIMS). The LIMS test conducted on the <75 μm shown an upgrade of 46.40wt% Fe, 28.40wt% SiO₂ and 2.61wt% MnO for zone 1 and 47.60wt% Fe, 29.17wt% SiO₂ and 0.50wt% MnO for zone 2. Further milling of the ore to <25 μm resulted in a higher magnetic-rich product after magnetic separation. Reverse flotation tests were conducted on the agitated magnetic concentrate feed, and the result shows a significant upgrade of Fe compared to that obtained from the non-agitated feed. Iron concentrations greater than 69%, and SiO₂ concentrations less than 2% with overall magnetite recoveries greater than 67% and 71% were obtained for zones 1 and 2, respectively.