Abstract
Industrial pyrometallurgical processes in ferrous metallurgy are based on carbothermal reduction of metal oxides. Carbothermal reduction of stable oxides requires high temperatures. Low-temperature reduction can be implemented by using methane-containing gas with high carbon activity, or by carbothermal reduction under reduced CO partial pressure. Under standard conditions, methane is thermodynamically unstable above 550 °C and decomposes to solid carbon and hydrogen. At appropriate CH4/H2 ratio and temperature, carbon activity in the methane-containing gas phase can be well above unity relative to graphite, which provides favorable thermodynamic conditions for reduction. To maintain these conditions, the rate of reduction/carburisation should be higher than the rate of solid carbon deposition. The paper discusses reduction of pure manganese and chromium oxides at relatively low temperatures, and constraints in reduction of manganese and chromium ores. Reduction of metal oxides by carbon in hydrogen as an alternative use of natural gas is also discussed.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
R. Longbottom, O. Ostrovski, J. Zhang, and D. Young, “The Stability of Cementite formed from Hematite and Titanomagnetite Ore,” Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 38 (2007), 175–184.
N. Anacleto, O. Ostrovski, and S. Ganguly, “Solid State Reduction of Manganese Oxides by Methane-Containing Gas,” ISIJ International, 44 (2004), 1480–1487.
N. Anacleto, O. Ostrovski, and S. Ganguly, “Reduction of Manganese Ores by Methane-Containing Gas,” ISIJ International, 44 (2004), 1615–1622.
N. Anacleto, and O. Ostrovski, “Solid State Reduction of Chromium Oxide by Methane-Containing Slag,” Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 35B (2004), 609–619.
N. Anacleto, “Solid State Reduction of Manganese and Chromium Ores by Methane-containing Gas” (PhD Thesis, UNSW, 2002), 144–174.
R. Kononov, O. Ostrovski, and S. Ganguly, “Carbothermal Reduction of Manganese Oxide in Different Gas Atmospheres,” Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 39B (2008), 662–668.
R. Kononov, O. Ostrovski, and S. Ganguly, “Carbothermal Solid State Reduction of Manganese Ores: 2. Non-isothermal and Isothermal Reduction in Different Gas Atmospheres,” ISIJ International, 49 (2009), 1107–1114.
M. A. R. Dewan, G. Zhang, and O. Ostrovski, “Carbothermal Reduction of Titania in Different Gas Atmospheres,” Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 40B (2009), 62–69.
M. A. R. Dewan, G. Zhang, and O. Ostrovski, “Carbothermal Reduction of a Primary Ilmenite Concentrate in Different Gas Atmospheres,” Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 41B (2010), 182–192.
W. J. Rankin and J. R. Wynnycky, “Kinetics of Reduction of MnO in Powder Mixtures with Carbon,” Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 28B (1997), 307–319.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 TMS (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society)
About this paper
Cite this paper
Ostrovski, O. (2014). The Use of Natural Gas for Reduction of Metal Oxides: Constraints and Prospects. In: Mackey, P.J., Grimsey, E.J., Jones, R.T., Brooks, G.A. (eds) Celebrating the Megascale. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48234-7_52
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48234-7_52
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-48591-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-48234-7
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)