Optimum condition for smelting high carbon ferromanganese

Abstract In the present study, pilot plant experimental heats were designed and carried out to determine the optimum condition for smelting high carbon ferromanganese through investigating some parameters affecting the smelting process including Mn/Fe ratio of the blend, coke ratio, slag basicity and dolomite/limestone ratio of the flux. The results of pilot plant experimental heats showed that using Mn blend with high Mn/Fe ratio decreases the consumption of charging materials: Mn ores, coke and fluxing materials (limestone and dolomite). This means that lower amounts of Mn ores, coke and flux materials can be used for attaining the same output alloy weight by increasing the Mn/Fe ratio of the blend. Furthermore, the produced slag decreases as Mn/Fe ratio of the blend increases. The higher Mn/Fe ratio of the blend does not only reduce the input materials and the produced slag, but also improves the produced alloy quality by increasing the Mn percent and Mn/Fe ratio of the produced high carbon ferromanganese. For obtaining standard HCFeMn alloy containing minimum 75%Mn, it is necessary to use Mn blend with the Mn/Fe ratio of higher than 6·2. The added coke must be adjusted according to the material balance and stoichiometric to prevent the over-coke and minimise the highly endothermic ‘Boudouard reaction’ to attain the highest Mn recovery and metallic yield. Furthermore, the slag basicity should be optimised with flux addition to attain the highest Mn recovery and metallic yield. The optimum slag basicity for attaining the highest manganese recovery and metallic yield depends on the used formula. The slag basicity can be determined from the chemical composition of raw material mixture with taking into consideration that about 2% of silicon in the raw material mixture will be reduced and goes into metal phase. Much higher slag basicity is not recommended as this practice produces viscous slag accompanied with lower Mn recovery and metallic yield. The results also revealed the negative effect of increasing MgO/CaO ratio of slag on manganese recovery and metallic yield. The MgO/CaO ratio in the slag decreases by decreasing the dolomite/limestone ratio in the flux.