The Effect of Lime on The Reducibility of Iron-Oxide Agglomerates

Abstract

Briquettes of pure ferric oxide and of ferric oxide with 2, 5 and 10 per cent lime were sintered at temp. ranging from 1,000 and 1,300°C. These were reduced by H in a loss-in-weight furnace ar temp. ranging from 550 to 1000°C. The effect of the lime additions upon the reducibility of iron oxide was studied. Similar studies were made on iron-oxide briquettes with 1, 2 and 5 per cent calcium-ferrite additions.

It was found that the increase in reducibility re suIting from the addition of lime was due neither to the formation of calcium ferrite nor to the change in the initial porosity or the porosity developed during reduction. Metallographic studies revealed that the mechanism of reduction of ferric oxide is different in the presence of lime from that of pure ferric oxide. An hypothesis for the mechanism of reduction of ferric oxide in the presence of lime is suggested.