A novel process for the recovery of iron,titanium, and vanadium from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite:sodium modification-direct reduction coupled process

A sodium modification-direct reduction coupled process was proposed for the simultaneous extraction of V and Fe from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite. The sodium oxidation of vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium vanadate and the transformation of iron oxides to metallic iron were accomplished in a single-step high-temperature process. The increase in roasting temperature favors the reduction of iron oxides but disfavors the oxidation of vanadium oxides. The recoveries of vanadium, iron, and titanium reached 84.52%, 89.37%, and 95.59%, respectively. Moreover, the acid decomposition efficiency of titanium slag reached 96.45%. Compared with traditional processes, the novel process provides several advantages, including a shorter flow, a lower energy consumption, and a higher utilization efficiency of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite resources.     

A method for recovery of iron,titanium, and vanadium from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite

An innovative method for recovering valuable elements from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite is proposed. This method involves two procedures:low-temperature roasting of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite and water leaching of roasting slag. During the roasting process, the reduction of iron oxides to metallic iron, the sodium oxidation of vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium vanadate, and the smelting separation of metallic iron and slag were accomplished simultaneously. Optimal roasting conditions for iron/slag separation were achieved with a mixture thickness of 42.5 mm, a roasting temperature of 1200℃, a residence time of 2 h, a molar ratio of C/O of 1.7, and a sodium carbonate addition of 70wt%, as well as with the use of anthracite as a reductant. Under the optimal conditions, 93.67% iron from the raw ore was recovered in the form of iron nugget with 95.44% iron grade. After a water leaching process, 85.61% of the vanadium from the roasting slag was leached, confirming the sodium oxidation of most of the vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium vanadate during the roasting process. The total recoveries of iron, vanadium, and titanium were 93.67%, 72.68%, and 99.72%, respectively.     

A method for recovery of iron,titanium, and vanadium from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite

An innovative method for recovering valuable elements from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite is proposed. This method involves two procedures: low-temperature roasting of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite and water leaching of roasting slag. During the roasting process, the reduction of iron oxides to metallic iron, the sodium oxidation of vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium vanadate, and the smelting separation of metallic iron and slag were accomplished simultaneously. Optimal roasting conditions for iron/slag separation were achieved with a mixture thickness of 42.5 mm, a roasting temperature of 1200°C, a residence time of 2 h, a molar ratio of C/O of 1.7, and a sodium carbonate addition of 70 wt%, as well as with the use of anthracite as a reductant. Under the optimal conditions, 93.67% iron from the raw ore was recovered in the form of iron nugget with 95.44% iron grade. After a water leaching process, 85.61% of the vanadium from the roasting slag was leached, confirming the sodium oxidation of most of the vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium vanadate during the roasting process. The total recoveries of iron, vanadium, and titanium were 93.67%, 72.68%, and 99.72%, respectively.     

Metalizing reduction and magnetic separation of vanadium titano-magnetite based on hot briquetting

To achieve high efficiency utilization of Panzhihua vanadium titano-magnetite, a new process of metalizing reduction and magnetic separation based on hot briquetting is proposed, and factors that affect the cold strength of the hot-briquetting products and the efficiency of reduction and magnetic separation are successively investigated through laboratory experiments. The relevant mechanisms are elucidated on the basis of microstructural observations. Experimental results show that the optimal process parameters for hot briquetting include a hot briquetting temperature of 475℃, a carbon ratio of 1.2, ore and coal particle sizes of less than 74 μm. Additionally, with respect to metalizing reduction and magnetic separation, the rational parameters include a magnetic field intensity of 50 mT, a reduction temperature of 1350℃, a reduction time of 60 min, and a carbon ratio of 1.2. Under these above conditions, the crushing strength of the hot-briquetting agglomerates is 1480 N, and the recovery ratios of iron, vanadium, and titanium are as high as 91.19%, 61.82%, and 85.31%, respectively. The new process of metalizing reduction and magnetic separation based on hot briquetting demonstrates the evident technological advantages of high efficiency separation of iron from other valuable elements in the vanadium titano-magnetite.     

Leaching of vanadium,sodium, and silicon from molten V-Ti-bearing slag obtained from low-grade vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite

The water leaching process of vanadium, sodium, and silicon from molten vanadium-titanium-bearing (V-Ti-bearing) slag obtained from low-grade vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite was investigated systematically. The results show that calcium titanate, sodium aluminosilicate, sodium oxide, silicon dioxide and sodium vanadate are the major components of the molten V-Ti-bearing slag. The experimental results indicate that the liquid-solid (L/S) mass ratio significantly affects the leaching process because of the respective solubilities and diffusion rates of the components. A total of 83.8% of vanadium, 72.8% of sodium, and 16.1% of silicon can be leached out via a triple counter-current leaching process under the optimal conditions of a particle size below 0.074 mm, a temperature of 90°C, a leaching time of 20 min, an L/S mass ratio of 4:1, and a stirring speed of 300 r/min. The kinetics of vanadium leaching is well described by an internal diffusion-controlled model and the apparent activation energy is 11.1 kJ/mol. The leaching mechanism of vanadium was also analyzed.     

Effect of reductant type on the embedding direct reduction of beach titanomagnetite concentrate

Iron and titanium were recovered from beach titanomagnetite(TTM) concentrate by embedding direct reduction and magnetic separation. The reduction products and the effects of the reductant type and reduction temperature on the reduction behavior were investigated. The results showed that the reduction of TTM concentrate was strongly related to the gasification reactivity of the reductant. Bitumite presented a better product index than wheat-straw biochar and coke, mainly because the gasification reactivity of bitumite was better than that of the other reductants. In addition, high temperatures were not beneficial to embedding direct reduction because of the emergence of a molten phase and iron-joined crystals, which in turn reduced the diffusion rate of the reducing gas and impeded the reduction reaction in the central area of the roasted briquette. The use of bitumite as the reductant at a C/Fe molar ratio of 1.4 and a reduction temperature of 1200°C for 120 min resulted in direct-reduction iron powder assaying 90.28 wt% TFe and 0.91 wt% TiO_2 with an iron recovery of 91.83% and titanium concentrate assaying 46.01 wt% TiO_2 with a TiO_2 recovery of 91.19%. Titanium existed mainly in the form of anosovite and ilmenite in the titanium concentrate.     

Effects of calcium compounds on the carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite concentrate

Effects of calcium compounds on the carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite concentrate(VTC) were investigated. It was found that calcium compounds had great effects on the metallization rate of the reduction product, the order of the metallization rate of reduction product being CaCO_3 no additive CaSO_4 CaCl_2, which indicated that the addition of CaCO_3 was more conducive to promoting the reduction of iron than other calcium compounds. Gas analysis showed that there were mainly two processes in the carbothermic reduction of VTC, a solid–solid and a solid–gas reaction. The concentrations of CO and CO_2 were highest when CaCO_3 was added, while that in a roasting system decreased the most when CaCl_2 was added. X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis showed that calcium compounds could change the reduction process of ilmenite in VTC. The phase compositions of the reduction products were changed from metallic iron(Fe) and anosovite(FeTi_2O_5) to metallic iron(Fe) and perovekite(CaTiO_3) when calcium compounds were added. Additionally, CaSO_4 and CaCl_2 could significantly promote the growth of metallic iron particles, though the existence of Fe-bearing Mg_2TiO_4 in reduction products was not conducive to the reduction of iron. The formation of FeS would further hinder the reduction of iron after adding CaSO_4.     

Extraction of vanadium from vanadium slag by high pressure oxidative acid leaching

To extract vanadium in an environment friendly manner, this study focuses on the process of leaching vanadium from vanadium slag by high pressure oxidative acid leaching. Characterizations of the raw slag, mineralogy transformation, and the form of leach residues were made by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The result shows that the vanadium slag is composed of major phases of fayalite, titanomagnetite, and spinel. During the high pressure oxidative acid leaching process, the fayalite and spinel phases are gradually decomposed by sulfuric acid, causing the release of vanadium and iron in the solution. Meanwhile, unreacted silicon and titanium are enriched in the leach residues. With the initial concentration of sulfuric acid at 250 g·L-1, a leaching temperature of 140℃, a leaching time of 50 min, a liquid-solid ratio of 10:1 mL·g-1, and oxygen pressure at 0.2 MPa, the leaching rate of vanadium reaches 97.69%.     

Mathematical model of the direct reduction of dust composite pellets containing zinc and iron

Direct reduction of dust composite pellets containing zinc and iron was examined by simulating the conditions of actual production process of a rotary hearth furnace (RHF) in laboratory. A mathematical model was constructed to study the reduction kinetics of iron oxides and ZnO in the dust composite pellets. It was validated by comparing the calculated values with experimental results. The effects of furnace temperature, pellet radius, and pellet porosity on the reduction were investigated by the model. It is shown that furnace temperature has obvious influence on both of the reduction of iron oxides and ZnO, but the influence of pellet radius and porosity is much smaller. Model calculations suggest that both of the reduction of iron oxides and ZnO are under mixed control with interface reactions and Boudouard reaction in the early stage, but only with interface reactions in the later stage.     

A new process of extracting vanadium from stone coal

A new process of extracting vanadium from the stone coal vanadium ore in Fangshankou, Dunhuang area of Gansu Province, China was introduced. Various leaching experiments were carried out, and the results show that the vanadium ore in Fangshankou is difficult to process due to its high consumption of acid and the high leaching rate of impurities. However, the leaching rate can be up to 80% and the content of V₂O₅ in the residue can be between 0.22%–0.25% in the process of ore fine grinding→oxidation roasting→mixing and ripening→aqueous leaching→P₂O₄ solvent extraction→sulfuric acid stripping→oxidation and precipitation→decomposition by heat. Also, the quality of flaky V₂O₅ produced by this process can meet the requirements of GB3283–87. The total leaching rate of vanadium is 70%. Also, three types of wastes are easy to treat. The vanadium extraction process is better in relation to the aspect of environmental protection than the sodium method.     

钙化合物对钒钛磁铁矿精矿碳热还原的影响

Effects of calcium compounds on the carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite concentrate (VTC) were investigated. It was found that calcium compounds had great effects on the metallization rate of the reduction product, the order of the metallization rate of reduction product being CaCO₃ > no additive > CaSO₄ > CaCl₂, which indicated that the addition of CaCO₃ was more conducive to promoting the reduction of iron than other calcium compounds. Gas analysis showed that there were mainly two processes in the carbothermic reduction of VTC, a solid–solid and a solid–gas reaction. The concentrations of CO and CO₂ were highest when CaCO₃ was added, while that in a roasting system decreased the most when CaCl₂ was added. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that calcium compounds could change the reduction process of ilmenite in VTC. The phase compositions of the reduction products were changed from metallic iron (Fe) and anosovite (FeTi₂O₅) to metallic iron (Fe) and perovekite (CaTiO₃) when calcium compounds were added. Additionally, CaSO₄ and CaCl₂ could significantly promote the growth of metallic iron particles, though the existence of Fe-bearing Mg₂TiO₄ in reduction products was not conducive to the reduction of iron. The formation of FeS would further hinder the reduction of iron after adding CaSO₄.     

Effects of the mineral phase and valence of vanadium on vanadium extraction from stone coal

The influence of roasting on the leaching rate and valence of vanadium was evaluated during vanadium extraction from stone coal. Vanadium in stone coal is hard to be leached and the leaching rate is less than 10% when the raw ore is leached by 4 mol/L H₂SO₄ at 90℃ for 2 h. After the sample is roasted at 900℃ for 2 h, the leaching rate of vanadium reaches the maximum, and more than 70% of vanadium can be leached. The crystal of vanadium-bearing mica minerals decomposes and the content of V(V) increases with the rise of roasting temperature from 600 to 900℃, therefore the leaching rate of vanadium increases significantly with the decomposition of the mica minerals. Some new phases, anorthite for example, form when the roasting temperature reaches 1000℃. A part of vanadium may be enwrapped in the sintered materials and newly formed phases, which may impede the oxidation of low valent vanadium and make the leaching rate of vanadium drop dramatically. The leaching rate of vanadium is not only determined by the valence state of vanadium but also controlled by the decomposition of vanadium-bearing minerals and the existence state of vanadium to a large extent.     

Formation of calcium titanate in the carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite concentrate by adding CaCO_3

The formation of calcium titanate in the carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite concentrate(VTC) by adding CaCO_3 was investigated. Thermodynamic analysis was employed to show the feasibility of calcium titanate formation by the reaction of ilmenite and Ca CO_3 in a reductive atmosphere, where ilmenite is more easily reduced by CO or carbon in the presence of CaCO_3. The effects of CaCO_3 dosage and reduction temperature on the phase transformation and metallization degree were also investigated in an actual roasting test. Appropriate increase of CaCO_3 dosages and reduction temperatures were found to be conducive to the formation of calcium titanate, and the optimum conditions were a CaCO_3 dosage of 18 wt% and a reduction temperature of 1400°C. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectrometry(SEM–EDS) analysis shows that calcium titanate produced via the carbothermic reduction of VTC by CaCO_3 addition was of higher purity with particle size approximately 50 μm. Hence, the separation of calcium titanate and metallic iron will be the focus in the future study.     

Biodesulfurization of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates and pH control of bioleaching solution

Vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates were desulfurized with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans). The sulfur content of the concentrates was reduced from 0.69wt% to 0.14wt% after bioleaching for 15 d with a 10% pulp density at 30℃. Maintaining a stable pH value during biodesulfurization was critical because of high acid consumption, resulting from a combination of nonoxidative and oxidative dissolution of pyrrhotite in acid solution. It is discovered that the citric acid-disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer of pH 2.0 can control the solution pH value smoothly in the optimal range of 2.0–3.0 for A. ferrooxidans growth. Using the buffer in the volume fraction range of 5.0%–15.0% stimulates A. ferrooxidans growth and improves the biodesulfurization efficiency. Compared with the buffer-free control case, the maximum increase of biodesulfurization rate is 29.7% using a 10.0vol% buffer. Bioleaching provides an alternative process for desulfurization of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite ores.     

Reduction–melting behaviors of boron-bearing iron concentrate/carbon composite pellets with addition of CaO

Although the total amount of boron resources in China is high, the grades of these resources are low. The authors have already proposed a new comprehensive utilization process of boron-bearing iron concentrate based on the iron nugget process. The present work describes a further optimization of the conditions used in the previous study. The effects of CaO on the reduction–melting behavior and properties of the boron-rich slag are presented. CaO improved the reduction of boron-bearing iron concentrate/carbon composite pellets when its content was less than 1wt%. Melting separation of the composite pellets became difficult with the CaO content increased. The sulfur content of the iron nugget gradually decreased from 0.16wt% to 0.046wt% as the CaO content of the pellets increased from 1wt% to 5wt%. CaO negatively affected the iron yield and boron extraction efficiency of the boron-rich slag. The mineral phase evolution of the boron-rich slag during the reduction–melting separation of the composite pellets with added CaO was also deduced.     

Carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite with the assistance of sodium carbonate

The carbothermic reduction of vanadium titanomagnetite concentrate(VTC)with the assistance of Na₂CO₃was conducted in an argon atmosphere between 1073 and 1473 K.X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the phase transformations during the reaction.By investigating the reaction between VTC and Na₂CO₃,it was concluded that molten Na₂CO₃broke the structure of titanomagnetite by combining with the acidic oxides(Fe₂O₃,TiO₂,Al₂O₃,and SiO₂)to form a Na-rich melt and release FeO and MgO.Therefore,Na₂CO₃accelerated the reduction rate.In addition,adding Na₂CO₃also benefited the agglomeration of iron particles and the slag–metal separation by decreasing the viscosity of the slag.Thus,Na₂CO₃assisted carbothermic reduction is a promising method for treating VTC at low temperatures.     

Application of a water cooling treatment and its effect on coal-based reduction of high-chromium vanadium and titanium iron ore

A water cooling treatment was applied in the coal-based reduction of high-chromium vanadium and titanium (V–Ti–Cr) iron ore from the Hongge region of Panzhihua, China. Its effects on the metallization ratio (η), S removal ratio (R_S), and P removal ratio (R_P) were studied and analyzed on the basis of chemical composition determined via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The metallic iron particle size and the element distribution of Fe, V, Cr, and Ti in a reduced briquette after water cooling treatment at 1350°C were determined and observed via scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the water cooling treatment improved the η, R_S, and R_P in the coal-based reduction of V–Ti–Cr iron ore compared to those obtained with a furnace cooling treatment. Meanwhile, the particle size of metallic iron obtained via the water cooling treatment was smaller than that of metallic iron obtained via the furnace cooling treatment; however, the particle size reached 70 μm at 1350°C, which is substantially larger than the minimum particle size required (20 μm) for magnetic separation. Therefore, the water cooling treatment described in this work is a good method for improving the quality of metallic iron in coal-based reduction and it could be applied in the coal-based reduction of V–Ti–Cr iron ore followed by magnetic separation.     

Non-isothermal reduction kinetics of titanomagnetite by hydrogen

Reduction of titanomagnetite (TTM) powders by H2-Ar gas mixtures was investigated under a non-isothermal condition by using a thermogravimetric analysis system. It was found that non-isothermal reduction of TTM proceeded via a dual-reaction mechanism. The first reaction was reduction of TTM to wüstite and ilmenite, whereas the second one was reduction of wüstite and ilmenite to iron and titanium dioxide. By using a new model for the dual reactions, which was in an analytical form and incorporated different variables, such as time, temperature, particle size, and hydrogen partial pressure, rate-controlling steps for the dual reactions were obtained with the apparent activation energies calculated to be 90–98 and 115–132 kJ/mol for the first and second reactions, respectively.     

Effect of Cr2O3 addition on oxidation induration and reduction swelling behavior of chromium-bearing vanadium titanomagnetite pellets with simulated coke oven gas

The oxidation induration and reduction swelling behavior of chromium-bearing vanadium titanomagnetite pellets (CVTP) with Cr₂O₃ addition were studied, and the reduction swelling index (RSI) and compressive strength (CS) of the reduced CVTP with simulated coke oven gas (COG) injection were investigated. The results showed that the CS of the CVTP decreases and the porosity of the CVTP increases with increasing amount of Cr₂O₃ added. The Cr₂O₃ mainly exists in the form of (Cr, Fe)₂O₃ solid solution in the CVTP and as Fe-Cr in the reduced CVTP. The CS of the reduced CVTP increases and the RSI of the reduced CVTP decreases with increasing amount of Cr₂O₃ added. The limited aggregation and diffusion of metallic iron contribute to the formation of dense lamellar crystals, which leads to the slight decrease for reduction swelling behavior of reduced CVTP. This work provides a theoretical and technical basis for the utilization of CVTP and other Cr-bearing ores such as chromite with COG recycling technology.     

Carbothermic reduction characteristics of ludwigite and boron-iron magnetic separation

Ludwigite is a kind of complex iron ore containing boron, iron, and magnesium, and it is the most promising boron resource in China. Selective reduction of iron oxide is the key step for the comprehensive utilization of ludwigite. In the present work, the reduction mechanism of ludwigite was investigated. The thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry analysis and isothermal reduction of ludwigite/coal composite pellet were performed. Ludwigite yielded a lower reduction starting temperature and a higher final reduction degree compared with the traditional iron concentrates. Higher specific surface area and more fine cracks might be the main reasons for the better reducibility of ludwigite. Reducing temperature highly affected the reaction fraction and microstructure of the reduced pellets, which are closely related to the separation degree of boron and iron. Increasing reducing temperature benefited the boron and iron magnetic separation. Optimum magnetic separation results could be obtained when the pellet was reduced at 1300℃. The separated boron-rich non-magnetic concentrate presented poor crystalline structure, and its extraction efficiency for boron reached 64.3%. The obtained experimental results can provide reference for the determination of the comprehensive utilization flow sheet of ludwigite.