Impact of Higher Al2O3 input on Blast Furnace

1. Effect on Blast Furnace slag rate

 Al2O3 being a refractory material is taken out from blast furnace by addition of fluxes to form
low melting slag.

 Higher the Al2O3 input, higher will be slag rate in blast furnace.

 This requires additional fuel i.e. Coke to melt for slag formation.

 The slag of blast furnace should have low viscosity and enough super heat to be taken out from
blast furnace.

 In the slag, Al2O3 raises the liquidus temperature of slag as well as the slag viscosity. In blast
furnace operating conditions the Al2O3 content of blast furnace slag should not exceed 20% for
normal blast furnace operation.

 To control the Al2O3% in the slag, slag rate is increased by addition of fluxes to keep Al2O3
below 19.5%.

 Every 0.1% rise in Al2O3 of iron bearing raw materials results in increase of Al2O3 by 1.6 kg/THM.

 This will result in increase of slag rate of 8 kg/THM. This in turns results in increase of fuel rate
by 2.0 kg/THM and loss of productivity of 1.8%.

 To dilute the Al2O3 the flux consumption is to be increased. The flux consumption for 1%
increase in Al2O3 input is 80-100 kg/THM

2. Effect on input Fe% in BF feed mix

 Low Al2O3 in ore fines results in higher Fe% in the sinter and hence the Fe input to the blast
furnace feed mix is increased.

 This results in lower consumption of sinter per ton of hot metal.

 In blast furnace Fe enrichment in feed mix results in increase of productivity and lower fuel rate
due to low slag volume.

 With 1% increase in Fe in the feed mix of Blast Furnace results in productivity improvement of
2.0% and decrease in fuel consumption by 1.8%.
 3. Effect of Burden permeability

 Higher Al2O3 in iron bearing raw materials result in decrease of cold strength (Tumbler Index)
and deterioration in high temperature degradation properties (RDI) of sinter inside the blast
furnace.

 Higher Al2O3 in the sinter also hampers the reducibility of the sinter (RI value). This results in
higher fuel consumption to reduce the sinter.

 This will result in increase of fines generation outside as well as in side the blast furnace.

 Degradation of sinter inside the blast furnace due to poor RDI hampers the burden
permeability.

 This will result in decrease in wind acceptance resulting decrease in hot metal production.

 An increase in Al2O3 % by 1% increases the RDI value by 10 points and reduces RI value by 5
points.

 An increase in 10% of sinter RDI value will result in decrease in blast furnace productivity by 5%
and increase in fuel rate by 25 kg/THM.

Effect of 1% increase in Al2O3 on Sinter properties and Blast Furnace performance

 Blast Furnace:

 Increase in slag rate of 80 kg/THM

 Increase in total fuel rate of 41 kg/THM

 Increase in flux consumption by 100 Kg/THM

 Increase in IBRM rate by 100 Kg/THM

 Loss in hot metal production of 800 tones/day (on basis of 6000 TPD).

4. Effect on hearth liquid drainage

 Increasing the Al2O3 content in the blast furnace slag, the blast furnace operations tend to make
troubles such as excess accumulation of molten slag in the blast furnace hearth and increasing
pressure drop at the lower part of the blast furnace.

 So, it will be important to keep good slag fluidity at the blast furnace operations such as,
drainage of tapping and keeping good permeability.

 Increase in blast furnace Al2O3 % from 19% to 22% at MgO level of 8.0% and slag basicity of 1.05,
the slag liquidus temperature rises from 1375°C to 1426°C.
 For Higher Al2O3 in slag results in higher fuel rate operation to keep the slag fluid.

 It increases the chance of chilling of blast furnace.

 The higher slag rate results in fluctuating liquid levels inside the furnace and results in
channeling of the gases.

 This in turns result in higher heat load on side walls and results in red spots on the shell and loss
to cooling member.

 The erosion of tap hole, and cast house runners also increases results in decrease of runner life.

 Higher slag rate with high Al2O3 the furnace drainage deteriorates, and results in failure of
tuyeres.

 It also promotes the side wall build up in the bosh region and results in tuyere tipping.

 Poor drainage also chocked the hearth and results in hearth side wall erosion.

 The high hearth side wall erosion can observe when the blast furnace was blown down for
gunning repairs.

 This will force us to replace the hearth refractory lining before the design campaign life.

Damage of tuyere due to improper hearth drainage