Reaction behavior of kaolinite with ferric oxide during reduction roasting

The pre-separation of silica and alumina in aluminosilicates is of great significance for efficiently treating alumina-/silica-bearing minerals for alumina production. In this work, the reaction behavior of kaolinite with ferric oxide during reduction roasting was investigated. The results of thermodynamic analyses and reduction roasting experiments show that ferrous oxide obtained from ferric oxide reduction preferentially reacts with alumina in kaolinite to form hercynite, meanwhile the silica in kaolinite is transformed into quartz solid solution and/or cristobalite solid solution. With increasing roasting temperature, fayalite formed by reaction of surplus ferrous oxide with silica at low temperature is reduced to silica and metallic iron in the presence of sufficient carbon dosage. However, increasing roasting temperature and decreasing Fe₂O₃/Al₂O₃ molar ratio favor mullite formation. The complete conversion of kaolinte into free silica and hercynite can be obtained by roasting raw meal of kaolin, ferric oxide and coal powder with Fe₂O₃/Al₂O₃/C molar ratio of 1.2:2.0:1.2 at 1373 K for 60 min. This work may facilitate the development of a technique for comprehensively utilizing silica and alumina in aluminosilicates.