On the mechanism of iron oxide reduction by carbon

A theoretical analysis has been made to determine the conditions under which the reduction of iron oxide by carbon takes place according to the 2 step mechanism involving the Boudouard reaction. This is based on the concept of minimum temperature of reduction (T _min) below which the Boudouard reaction does not affect the reduction process. The effect of variables such as carbon reactivity, total pressure and so forth onT _min has been studied. TheT _min can be used to determine if metallization is possible under a given set of conditions.