Effects of H2 ratio on the softening-melting behaviours of vanadium titanomagnetite pellets under simulated H2-rich oxygen blast furnace conditions

The effect of H-2 ratio (0-70 vol%) on the softening-melting behaviours of vanadium titanomagnetite pellets in H-2-CO gas mixtures has been investigated experimentally in the simulated H-2-rich oxygen blast furnace conditions. The feasibility of vanadium titanomagnetite pellets smelted in an H-2-rich oxygen blast furnace was discussed from gas utilisation rates, slag-iron separation performances, slag foamabilities, hot metal qualities, etc. The results indicate that although the cohesive zone range increases with the increase of H-2 ratio in gas mixtures, the permeability of the feed bed is improved greatly. The H-2 utilisation rate increases with the increase of H-2 ratio. Moreover, the formations of the slag foaming are minimised with the increase of H-2 ratio. H-2 in the reduction gases also promotes the reduction of vanadium oxides and titanium oxides, which increases the [V] content in dripping iron, and results in more TiC generations which severely deteriorates the slag-iron separation performances.