Dripping and evolution behavior of primary slag bearing TiO2 through the coke packed bed in a blast-furnace hearth

To investigate the flow of primary slag bearing TiO₂ in the cohesive zone of blast furnaces, experiments were carried out based on the laboratory-scale packed bed systems. It is concluded that the initial temperature of slag dripping increases with decreasing FeO content and increasing TiO₂ content. The slag holdup decreases when the FeO content is in the range of 5wt%–10wt%, whereas it increases when the FeO content exceeds 10wt%. Meanwhile, the slag holdup decreases when the TiO₂ content increases from 5wt% to 10wt% but increases when the TiO₂ content exceeds 10wt%. Moreover, slag/coke interface analysis shows that the reaction between FeO and TiO₂ occurs between the slag and the coke. The slag/coke interface is divided into three layers: slag layer, iron-rich layer, and coke layer. TiO₂ in the slag is reduced by carbon, and the generated Ti diffuses into iron.