EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF DISSOLUTION RATES OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS IN LIQUID IRON-CARBON MELTS

Interactions of carbonaceous materials in liquid Fe-C melts have been investigated experimentally by determining the rates of dissolution at temperatures ranging from 1623 to 1935 K. The rates of dissolution of spectroscopic graphite and an industrial coke obeyed the correlation for natural convection under turbulent conditions. The experimental data for the graphite suggested that the rate of dissolution was controlled by mass transfer in liquid boundary layer adjacent to the solid sample. The value of the empirical parameter correlating the dissolution coefficient and the operating variables was found to be 0.19, which was close to that reported in the literature. The comparison of the results obtained for coke and low-volatile coal char samples with those for the graphite revealed that impurities and porosity of the samples can effect the dissolution rates. The values of k(t) for coke decreased with increasing the dissolution time. The examination of some of the partially dissolved coke samples by electron microscopy revealed that a thin, viscous ash layer was forming on the sample surface, which must be the main reason for the behavior. The dissolution rates were controlled by both mass transfer and phase boundary reactions when sulfur was present in the bath. The extent of devolatilization and dissolution of coal particles when they were injected into an Fe-C melt depended on the particle size and location.