ALUMOTHERMIC REDUCTION OF ILMENITE IN A STEEL MELT

摘要

Experiments regarding the alumothermic reduction of ilmenite (FeO-TiO_2), a mineral that contains iron and titanium oxides, were carried out. The results of the experiments showed that the alumothermic reduction takes place in steel, but the products obtained with the reduction suggest that the reaction mechanism is more complicated and includes different metallic phases other than a simple reduction of pure elemental titanium. Two kinds of experiments were carried out, the alumothermic reduction of ilmenite in a steel melt and the alloying of the alumothermic mixture into the steel melt. The experiments were carried out in order to get a view of the phase boundary between the steel and reduced titanium and the metallic phases that occur during the reduction, before the dissolution of titanium in the steel melt. Metallic phases that contained aluminium, iron and titanium were gained during the alumothermic reduction of ilmenite. Titanium was successfully alloyed into the steel melt by introducing the alumothermic mixture into the melt, while the presence of titanium nitrides confirms that the titanium was reduced in the melt and reacted with the dissolved nitrogen.