Study on the Possibility of Using ZnO to Increase the Desulfurization Potential of Blast Furnace Slag and Sulfide Capacities

Zinc oxide has recently been suggested to be a potential material for hot metal desulfurization. The present work was carried out to examine whether ZnO could help the remaining blast furnace (BF) slag to capture sulfur. For this purpose, slags prepared with relatively high ZnO content was equilibrated with either liquid silver or liquid copper under controlled oxygen potential at 1773 K. It was found that most of the ZnO escaped during the experiment, indicating thereby that ZnO could not increase the desulfurization potential of the BF slag in the case of hot metal. The experimental data were used to evaluate the sulfide capacities of the studied slags. In some of the slags equilibrated with silver, the MgO activities were evaluated.