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Synthesis and Characterization of Metallic Iron Reduced from Low-grade Coal in Rajasthan

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Abstract

Today’s industrial technology offers to optimize and reutilize the resources available in terms of scum that remains after hot rolling in steel rerolling mills in Rajasthan, India. Vast reserves of low-grade coal exist and tons of mill scale are produced everyday after hot rolling in steel rerolling mills in Rajasthan, India. The present research work aimed to optimize the various parameters of solid-state reduction of mill scale using low-grade coal from Rajasthan, India. This study investigates the effect of reduction temperature (850–950 °C in steps of 50 °C), reduction time (60 to 180 min, in step of 60 min), mill scale size (800–300 μm), and mill scale to coal ratio (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) on achievable metallic iron percentage and its metallization. A higher percentage of iron content is obtained at a lower particle size of 300 μm. The structural analysis is carried out on 300 μm mill scales using XRD analysis, which shows the percentage of iron is approximately 63%, and metallization above 80% can be obtained under the reduction temperature at 900 °C for 180 min, for 1:3 ratio (mill scale to coal ratio). The chemical composition of the mill scale is obtained using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and particle sizes as well as distribution of mill scale are determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The elements present in the mill scale are also verified using EDS, which indicates the presence of a major portion of Fe, followed by Fe2O3, Si, and C, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to give sincere thanks to the Ministry of Steel, Government of India (F. No 11(11)/GBS/2013-TW DATED 28.09.2015) for financial support. Acknowledgement is also due to the Advanced research lab for Tribology, Mechanical Engineering Dept., MNIT, Jaipur, for providing the solid-state reduction facility and the Material Research Centre, MNIT Jaipur, for providing the characterization facility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, MNIT, Jaipur, 302017, India

    Akshay Kumar, Saurav Kumar & M. K. Banerjee

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, MNIT, Jaipur, 302017, India

    Vinayaka R. Kiragi & Amar Patnaik

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, SGES Government Rural Polytechnic, Tarihal, Hubli, Karnataka, 580026, India

    Vinayaka R. Kiragi

  4. Discipline of Metallurgy Engineering and Materials Science, IIT, Indore, 453552, India

    Vinod Kumar

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  1. Akshay Kumar
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Correspondence to Amar Patnaik.

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Kumar, A., Kiragi, V.R., Kumar, S. et al. Synthesis and Characterization of Metallic Iron Reduced from Low-grade Coal in Rajasthan. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 37, 1741–1751 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00281-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00281-y

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