Vapor Phase Carbothermic Reduction of Magnesium Oxide in the High Intensity ARC

摘要

A laboratory investigation of the vapor-phase reduction of magnesium oxide has been carried out in the tail flame of a d-c high intensity arc. Thermodynamic considerations were used to predict an approximate tem¬perature-dependence for the homogeneous reaction, MgO + C →Mg + CO, indicating this reaction goes to completion above 1800℃. Since the lowest recorded temperature in the flame was ~ 2000℃, it was assumed that the flame consisted predominantly of reaction products. This was verified by spectrographic observation.nIt was concluded that the reaction was a homogeneous one and that the high intensity arc technique offers interesting possibilities in the carbothermic reduction of stable metal oxides.