Preparation of phosphorous-rich iron via hydrogen reduction–melting separation of high-phosphorus oolitic hematite
摘要
Distinct from conventional dephosphorization approaches, a novel low-carbon and efficient strategy was proposed for producing phosphorus-rich iron via hydrogen reduction–melting separation of high-phosphorus oolitic hematite. The process requires neither additional fluxes nor complex pretreatment of the ore. Adjustment of the pellet FeO content via control of the reduction degree enables modulation of the physicochemical characteristics of the autogenous slag, thereby promoting efficient phosphorus-rich iron production under optimized slag–metal separation conditions. Experimental results indicate that roasting at 1200 °C promotes the grain growth of hematite and significantly enhances the strength of the pellets. The hydrogen reduction process of high-phosphorus oolitic hematite at 900–1000 °C follows the unreacted core model, with the reduction rate controlled by interfacial chemical reactions. During the hydrogen reduction process at 1000 °C, apatite was not reduced. As the metallic iron particles aggregated and grew, apatite and gangue phases formed complex slag phases. Appropriate adjustment of the pellet reduction degree enables control of the phosphorus content in the phosphorus-rich iron obtained during the melting process. This regulation is related to the oxygen potential of the slag and the kinetic conditions. By controlling the reduction degree of the pellets within the range of 75%–90%, the phosphorus content in the resulting metal products was effectively adjusted from 0.64 to 1.53 wt.%. At a pellet reduction degree of 90%, the recoveries of both iron and phosphorus after melting exceeded 80%. This result confirms a green and efficient method for recovering iron and phosphorus from oolitic hematite without using flux.