Application of the radioisotope excited X-ray fluorescence technique in charge optimization during thermite smelting of Fe-Ni, Fe-cr, and Fe-Ti alloys
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India)
A wide range of ferroalloys are used to facilitate the addition of different alloying elements to molten steel. High-carbon ferroalloys are produced on a tonnage basis by carbothermic smelting in an electric furnace, and an aluminothermic route is generally adopted for small scale production of low-carbon varieties. The physicochemical principles of carbothermy and aluminothermy have been well documented in the literature. However, limited technical data are reported on the production of individual ferroalloys of low-carbon varieties from their selected resources. The authors demonstrate her the application of an energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technique in meeting the analytical requirements of a thermite smelting campaign, carried out with the aim of preparing low-carbon-low-nitrogen Fe-Ni, Fe-Cr, and Fe-Ti alloys from indigenously available nickel bearing spent catalyst, mineral chromite, and ilmenite/rutile, respectively. They have chosen the EDXRF technique to meet the analytical requirements because of its capability to analyze samples of ore, minerals, a metal, and alloys in different forms, such as powder, sponge, as-smelted, or as-cast, to obtain rapid multielement analyses with ease. Rapid analyses of thermite feed and product by this technique have aided in the appropriate alterations of the charge constitutents to obtain optimum charge consumption.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 131429
- Journal Information:
- Metallurgical Transactions, B, Vol. 26, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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