Comparing Study of Reduction of Titanomagnetite Concentrate (Produced from Rossita Illmenite Ore) Pellets or Briquettes via Hydrogen or Coke against That Pellets or Briquettes Produced from El-Baharia Iron Ore

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to develop a comparative study of the kinetics of reduction of different sources of iron ores“titanomagnetite concentrate TMC produced from Rossettaillmenite ore and El-Baharia Iron ore” using different forms for preparing the initial material like briquettes and pellets via hydrogen or coke as a reducing agent at different temperatures. The results indicated that the optimum conditions for the reduction process forbriquettes produced from TMC are 1.5 L/min hydrogen flow rate at 950˚C. The kinetic model shown by the briquettes is Diffusion through ash layermodel for cylindrical briquettes with activation energy 17.17 kJ/mole, While Diffusion through thin ash layer model (Jander equation) and Diffusion through ash layer model (Crank-Ginslling-Brounshtein equation) for pellets with activation energy 23.64 and 22.67 kJ/mole respectively. Also the main crystalline phases of reduced briquettesas obtained by XRDwere: metallic iron (syn. Fe), rutile (syn.TiO2) with some traces of magnetite (Fe3O4).Also for TMC pelletat 2 L/min hydrogen flow rateandtemperature 950°C,the main crystalline phases of reduced pellets were metallic iron, rutile with some traces of magnetite (Fe3O4).For TMC with coke the optimum temperature is 900 oC and stoichiometric coke =1, the kinetic model was Diffusion through ash layer model for cylindrical briquettes and activation energy = 63.68kJ/mole. The reduction process of briquettes produced from El-Baharia iron ore was performed at 1.5 L/min hydrogen flow rate at 950˚C. The kinetic modelfollowed by the briquettes isDiffusion through ash layer model. And the activation energy=55.63kJ/mole. Also the main crystalline phases of reduced briquettes were metallic iron, and some traces of magnetite (Fe3O4). For El-Baharia iron ore pellets at 2 L/min hydrogen flow rate and 950°C the kinetic model is diffusion through thin ash layer (Jander equation) and activation energy = 56.43kJ/mole. The main crystalline phases of reduced pellets were metallic iron, with some traces of magnetite (Fe3O4). And for El-Baharia reduced with coke at1050oC and Stoichiometric coke = 1, the kinetic model wasdiffusion through ash layer for cylindrical briquettesand activation energy = 42.52kJ/mole.