1983 Volume 69 Issue 14 Pages 1585-1590
The multi-stage steelmaking process with soda ash (Na2CO3) was proposed. Dephosphorization and desulphurization of hot metal, the most important unit processes in the process, were studied. Experiments on the continuous refining of hot metal with Na2CO3 were carried out using the trough-type continuous refining furnace. The furnace was divided in two chambers and the first (upper stream) chamber was provided for desiliconization with oxygen and iron are and the second one was for dephosphorization and desulphurization with Na2CO3. In the second chamber the hot metal and slag flowed in counter currents.
The furnace was able to process the hot metal at a rate of 45 t/h and the refined hot metal was transported to the steelmaking shop. The operation for 120 hours in campaigns proved the stability in reaction temperature and low wear rate of the refractory in the refining section. By analysing the tracer concentration in the exit stream with the mixed model, Peclet numbers for the hot metal and the slag flows were estimated as 6.7 and 2.0 respectively.
