Investigation of the Microwave Iron-Production Process with Multipoint Pyrometric and Spectroscopic Measurements

Abstract

Carbothermic reduction of magnetite in a 2.45-GHz microwave multimode furnace was investigated with multipoint pyrometric and spectroscopic measurements. Both experimental results emphasize the importance of surface heating of the specimen by microwave-generated plasma for reducing iron oxide. The pyrometric observation shows a shift of the heating mode from the direct volumetric heating by microwave to the surface heating by microwave-generated plasma, when the temperature of the material suddenly rises from ∼800 to ∼1000 °C accompanied by light emission from plasma. The emission spectrum in the near-UV range (240-310 nm) changes drastically from a continuous spectrum to a line emission spectrum of iron, representing progress of carbothermic reduction of iron oxide. The multipoint spectroscopic observation indicates extensive carbothermic reduction occurring on the entire upper surface of the specimen.