Effect of basicity on wüstite sinter reducibility under simulated blast furnace conditions

In this study, synthetic sinters with different basicity (CaO/SiO₂ = 0, 0·5 and 2·0) were prepared at 1300°C and prereduced at 900°C using low potential reducing gas (LPRG; 20%CO, 20%CO₂, 5%H₂ and 55%N₂). The prereduced sinters were subsequently reduced to metallic iron at 950–1100°C using relatively high potential reducing gas (HPRG; 30%CO, 5%CO₂, 10%H₂ and 55%N₂). Both LPRG and HPRG were selected to simulate the gas composition in the blast furnace upper and lower shaft respectively. High pressure mercury porosimeter, X-ray phase analysis, optical and scanning electron microscope were used for the analysis of the prepared and reduced sinters. In the original basic sinter, calcium ferrite (CaFe₂O₄) and dicalcium silicate (Ca₂SiO₄) phases were identified as well as the main Fe₂O₃ phase, whereas wollastonite [Ca_2·87Fe_0·13(SiO₃)₃] and silica (SiO₂) were formed in the acidic sinter. The prereduction in sinters with LPRG at 900°C resulted in the formation of wüstite (Fe_0·902O) phase. The subsequent reduction in wüstite sinters to metallic iron using HPRG at 950–1100°C was found to be the highest for basic sinter and the least for acidic sinter. The higher reduction rate of basic sinter was attributed to the enhancement of wüstite reducibility through the formation of calcium ferrites. The lower reduction rate of wüstite in acidic sinter was attributed to the formation of hard reducible fayalite (Fe₂SiO₄) and ferrobustamite [(Ca_0·5Fe_0·5)SiO₃] phases. The rate controlling mechanism during the reduction process was estimated by the correlation between apparent activation energy calculation and microstructure investigations.