Kinetics of Reduction of Low-Grade Nickel Laterite Ore Using Carbon Monoxide

Journal Article · Sat Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. B, Process Metallurgy and Materials Processing Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/S11663-018-1367-8· OSTI ID:22931937

Li, Bo; Ding, Zhiguang; Wei, Yonggang; Wang, Hua ^[1]; Yang, Yindong; Barati, Mansoor ^[2]

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1. Kunming University of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Nonferrous Metal Resources Clean Utilization (China)
2. University of Toronto, Department of Material Science and Engineering (Canada)

Reduction of a low-grade nickel laterite ore with carbon monoxide to produce Fe-Ni alloy was investigated using a thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) method. Non-isothermal reduction tests with a fixed heating rate of 10 °C/min from room temperature to 1200 °C were carried out to determine the different reduction stages and reaction products in each state. Combining measured mass losses with theoretically calculated values together with X-ray diffraction analysis, the products of different reduction stages were identified and a reaction path was established. Isothermal reduction tests with temperatures ranging from 500 °C to 1100 °C were performed to evaluate the temperature dependence of the reduction kinetics. Various kinetic models were fitted to the experimental data to further determine the rate-controlling step in the isothermal tests. Then, two groups of TG experiments were carried out to study the effect of CO flow rate and sample mass on the rate of reaction. The results indicated that the reduction rate increases with the increase of the reduction temperature from 500 °C to 1100 °C. More alloy products are formed and the apparent activation energies increase from 8.6 to 14.7 kJ/mol with the increase of the reduction temperature from 700 °C to 1100 °C. Accordingly, it was proposed that diffusion of CO in the gas bulk and through the pores of the laterite ore sample bed are the rate limiting steps.

• OSTI ID: 22931937
• Journal Information: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. B, Process Metallurgy and Materials Processing Science, Vol. 49, Issue 6; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2018 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International; http://www.springer-ny.com; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1073-5615
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ACTIVATION ENERGY
CARBON MONOXIDE
DIFFUSION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLOW RATE
HEATING RATE
IRON ALLOYS
KINETICS
MASS TRANSFER
NICKEL
NICKEL ADDITIONS
NICKEL ORES
REDUCTION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
THEORETICAL DATA
THERMAL GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION