Production of high titania slag from ilmenite
AssigneeAnglo Operations Limited
InventorsAlbert Francois Simon Schoukens, David John Morris, Frederick Stephen McComb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process is provided for the production of titania rich slag from ilmenite. The ilmenite is fed together with carbonaceous reductant, and in the absence of fluxes, to the molten bath of a D.C. arc furnace. The molten bath of the furnace forms the anode and one or more electrodes in the roof of the furnace forms the cathode. A frozen lining is established and maintained between the refractory lining of the furnace and the molten bath and the process includes means to control the thickness of the frozen lining as well as the whole smelting process.
Claims19
A continuous process for the reduction of ilmenite in a D.C. transferred arc furnace having a refractory lining and operating with a molten bath, one or more electrodes situated in the roof of the furnace acting as cathode, the molten bath acting as anode, and a frozen lining at least partly between the refractory lining and the molten bath, the process comprising the steps of:
- feeding the ilmenite simultaneously with carbonaceous reductant, in the absence of fluxes, to the molten bath;
- withdrawing titania rich slag and pig iron from the furnace;
- and controlling the operation of the furnace, the step of controlling the furnace including the steps of taking temperature measurements of a furnace wall adjacent the frozen lining, estimating the thickness of the frozen lining as a function of the temperature in the furnace wall, and controlling the amount of titanium dioxide in the furnace to urge a thickness of the frozen lining towards a predetermined reference value.
A method for controlling a frozen lining between a furnace lining and a molten bath in a D.C. transferred arc furnace used for the continuous reduction of ilmenite, the method comprising the steps of
- 1) establishing a frozen lining,
- 2) measuring at least the temperature in a wall of the furnace adjacent the frozen lining,
- 3) estimating the thickness of the frozen lining as a function of the temperature in the wall, and
- 4) controlling the amount of titanium dioxide produced in the furnace to urge a thickness of the frozen lining towards a predetermined reference value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.