Mini Blast Furnace: A boon for iron making industry

The blast furnace iron making process had until recently ,been unchallenged method of making hot metal on large scale till 1990, The MINI BLAST FURNACE or (MBF) is the most proven technology revealed by one recent global iron production data. Mini blast furnaces are ideally suited to small scale operations. A MBF which can be viewed as is a miniature version of conventional blast furnace also has a few additional characteristics features known for their simplicity and economy .Since MBF are small (working volume ranges between 100 370 m3 corresponding to production capacities of hot metal between 60000 200000 tpa.). The technology involved is not only well proven, but also very sophisticated. The products from MBF are of the same quality as that of normal Blast Furnace and are free of tramp elements. In INDIA the KALINGA IRON WORKS is successfully operating 3 MBFs with volume less than 100m3, an MBF of 175m3 capacity was commissioned in GOA in 1992 and nine more MBFs with installed capacity of 0.80 Mtpa. CHINA is the most prominent country that uses MBF, Over 1000 MBFs already in successful operation in china meeting chinas one third requirement of steel (22 million tonne). If this trend continues, which is more likely to happen? MBF technology would play an increasingly important role in the rapid and wide spread growth of iron and steel making capacity in this country. The biggest LIMITATION of MBF technology is that coal injection is normally difficult and the higher specific heat requirement has to be met entirely by coke which is normally purchased from external sources. Some SALIENT features of MBFs:

Replica of big blast furnace, no risk with all features of big blast furnace. Simple design very simple application. Produce cheaper castings for sanitary goods, ingot moulds, bottom plates etc. Very easy to operate minimum automation required. 28 m3 MBF A BOON for foundries most suitable for Fe castings or making pig Iron.

Blast Furnace: Principles, Construction, and chemistry behind it

FURNACE: A furnace is a device in which heat is given in order to heat the stock placed with heat. For the purpose the chemical energy of a fuel is utilize to raise the temperature by the stock. BLAST FURNACE: Which is converted iron or into useful metal or a reduction of iron ore is converted into useful metal is called hot metal or pig iron. The iron ore becomes pig iron when the impurity is burned out in a blast furnace. COMPOSITION OF PIG IRON Carbon = 3 + 03.5 Sulphur = .04 Phosphorus = 0.20 Manganese = .8 1.0 Silicon = .5 .8 Iron ore = Remainder

PRINCIPLE OF BLAST FURNACE Blast furnace is essentially an apparatus for a heating the ore in the presence of excess of carbon.-Principally in the form of carbon monoxide (CO) which is reducing agent. Fe2O3 + 3 CO > 2 Fe + 3 CO3

The descending iron ore is converted in to pig iron by an ascending steam or heat reducing gases chiefly CO2, CO & N2. CONSTRUCTION OF BLAST FURNACE 1. 2. 3. 4. The hearth (lower section) The bosh (middle section) The stock (upper section) Tuyers

1) Hearth Hearth is a cylindrical shell lined with refractory carbon bricks. We can also use high Al2O3 to silica ratio but it shows lower permeability and porosity which suffered from frequent break out on the attended trouble. At the bottom of the hearth there is two hole through which the molten metal are removed from Top hole there is a cinder notch through which the molten slag are removed. 2) Bosh The bosh is smelting zone and hottest part of the FIC and its temperature about 20000C. It is a reduction zone. FeO + CO > Fe + CO2 and refractory line high duty super duty fire bricks. 3) Stack In this stage the burden are decent through the pre-heating hot zone. The lining used for 40-45% alumina ratio, high duty fire bricks. They should have very good abrasion resistance to attack. Heating Stoves The stoves for heating the air blast utilize gases leaving the top of furnace. 4) Tuyers There is located peripherally near the top of the hearth and their admit the heated air necessary for combustion and chemical reaction. Tuyers are made of copper or bronze and have internal diameters of 100 to 175mm.

Volume of the tuyers = 2800 m3/minute Temperature = 7000C Pressure = 1 to 14 Kg/cm2 Chemistry of Pig Iron 1) Upper Zone (400-8000C) 2) Middle Zone (800-10000C) 3) Lower Zone (10000C) 1) UPPER ZONE In this zone the border is rapidly heated from ambient temperature to about 8000C. The main reaction occurs in this zone:1) Reduction of iron oxide Firstly, hematite is reduced to magnesite and magnesite reduced to FeO and Fe reduced.

Volatilization This comprises mainly of the chemically uncombined the water entering the furnace with most coke, ore or limestone. The volatilization of water is consumes about 580 Kcal/Kg of water. Decomposition of Hydrate A part of a physical adherence of moisture which is water is also present chemically combine as water of crystallization or hydration. CO + H2O > H2 + CO2 It is called water gas shift reaction.

CARBON DECARBONIZATION We have already known as thermodynamically carbon deposition from CO by the reaction. CO2 + C > 2CO It is called boudoured reaction. Temperature = 450-6000C 2) Reaction in middle zone In this zone are called a moderate zone. Temperature = 100-10000C The main reaction occurs in this zone: FeO + C >Fe + CO a) Direct Reduction Zone (10000C and above) Indirect reduction occurs is not only lower zone but can occur in the furnace where the temperature above 10000C INDIRECT ZONE Its temperature about 800-10000C In this zone the FeO is reacted with CO then gives Fe and CO2 gas. FeO + CO > Fe + CO2 2 CO > CO2 + C It is called Haumann Reaction. iii) Direct and indirect reduction zone:FeO + CO > Fe + CO2 CO2 + C > 2CO FeO + C > Fe + CO

SiO2 + C > SiO + CO SiO + C > Si + CO SiO2 > SiO (in gaseous form) <SiO> + FeO > SiO2 + Fe SiO2 + C >Si + 2CO2 Lower Zone Its temperature about 10000C 1) Calcination of limestone 2) Reduction of unreduced iron ore CaOCO3 > CaO + CO2 Si + O2 > SiO2 Mn + CO > MnO + C FeS + CaO + C > Fe + CaS + CO P2O5 + 5C > 2P + 2CO2 H2O + C > H2 + CO 2C + O2 > 2CO Mg + CO > Mg + CO Mg + O > MgO SiO2 + CaO > SiO2. CaO (Slag) Raw Material and Charging Composition for 1 ton hot metal Iron ore = 1.7 1.87 Coke = 0.8 0.9

Flun = 0.4 0.8 Air = 45 ton Mn, quartzite & Ti = 50 Kg Iron Ore The naturally occurring materials containing iron are known minerals of iron. The mineral deposits from which iron can be extracted economically are referred to as ores of iron. Oxide ores - Hemetite Fe2O3, Fe3O4 Sulphides - CuFeS2 (Pyrite) Hydroxides ore - Limonite Coke Composition of Coke Ash - 15% 16% C - 75 80 S - 0.5 0.6 Vm - 0.3 0.4 Moisture - .05% 1) High Priority 2) Better reducing agent Composition of Flux Acid Basic Send Lime, Dolomite (CaO) (CaOCO3, MgCO3) CaO - 57% 67%

MgO - 8.5 0.25 SiO2 - 0.5 6.5% Composition of Air: N2 remaining CO - 22% CO2 - 20% O2 - 0.22% H2 - 2.3% Flux is used for extracting the metal from gangue material. Composition of Quartzite. SiO2 - 96% max Al2O3 - 1.5 minimum Characteristics of iron ore 1) Reducibility 2) Size Distribution 3) Strength 4) Range of Softening Charging Pattern 1) Ring Charging 2) Spiral Charging 3) Point Charging 4) Segment Charging