Study of possibility of manufacture of the complex titanium-containing ferroalloy via single-stage carbothermal method

The object of research is the melting technology of a complex titanium-containing ferroalloy by single-stage slag-free carbothermal method using high-ash coals as a reducing agent. The ilmenite concentrate (Shokash deposit, Aktobe region, Kazakhstan), rich titanium slag, which was obtained by the scientists of the Chemical and Metal-lurgical Institute named after Zh. Abishev (Karaganda, Kazakhstan), as well as high-ash coal as a reducing agent were used as charge materials. Several physical-chemical characteristics of used charge materials were previously studied to carry out large-scale labour tests on the complex titanium-containing ferroalloy melting via single-stage slag-free carbothermal method. The chemical and phase composition of materials was established and two optimal compositions of the charge mixture for alloy melting were selected on their basis. The first composition contains: coal – 67.35 %; rich titanium slag – 26.12 %; quartzite – 6.5 %. The second composition includes^ coal – 66.95 %; rich titanium slag – 23.1 %; ilmenite – 3.3 %; quartzite – 6.61 %. Tests for melting of a new complex titanium-containing ferroalloy were conducted in the ore-smelting furnace with 0.2 MVA transformer power. As a result of the tests, a batch of new complex titanium-containing ferroalloy was obtained, with the following average chemical composition: Ti - 18-21 %; Si - 35-45 %; Al - 10-20 %; P is no more than 0.08 %, the rest is Fe. Also met-allographic studies of the alloy sample were carried out in the work. The obtained alloy according corresponds in its titanium content to the brand FeTi25 (GOST 4761-91). The test results showed the principal possibility of obtaining a new complex titanium-containing ferroalloy from rich titanium slag and ilmenite concentrate using high-ash coal as a reducing agent.