Carbon Transfer During Melting of Direct-Reduced Iron
(Room 406)
16 May 16
11:00 AM
-
11:30 AM
Tracks:
EAF Raw Materials & DRI, Use of DRI in Steelmaking
Carbon is a desirable element in EAF steelmaking, especially if the carbon can be dissolved in the steel melt. Subsequent oxidation of the carbon produces carbon monoxide gas, which foams the slag (increasing energy efficiency) and strips dissolved nitrogen from the steel. Direct-reduced iron (DRI) can contain several mass percent of carbon. In this study, laboratory-produced DRI pellets with different carbon contents were produced by gaseous reduction and carburizing. The DRI pellets were then injected to a laboratory slag-steel melt. During DRI injection, infrared radiation gas analysis was used to monitor CO content in the offgas, and then the percentage of carbon in DRI transferred to the steel melt was analyzed. Also, automated SEM/EDX was used to examine the carbon content of the steel melt. It was found that carbon transfer to the steel melt can be achieved despite the presence of an oxidizing (FeO-containing) slag, and DRI injection might be an effective approach to reducing the nitrogen content of EAF steel.