Production of Iron Carbide in CH₄-H₂ Mixtures

Abstract

In order to investigate the optimum operating conditions for the Fe₃C production from iron ore particles in CH₄-H₂mixtures, experiments were carried out in a fixed bed or a fluidized bed in a flow of 3.33×10^-5m³/s of CH₄-H₂ mixtures and temperature range from 650 to 950°C.
The present study has revealed the most appropriate conditions that ratio of CH₄ to H₂ is 40/60 and temperature is 750°C. Under these experimental conditions most of the reduced iron was converted into Fe₃C for about 30 minutes. But during reaction, a part of the Fe₃C was decomposed into Fe and C, although Fe₃C formed at 750°C was hard to decompose in comparison with those formed at other temperatures.
During reaction, if unreduced FeO remained in iron ore it may accelerate the decomposition of Fe₃C. Therefore, porous iron ore is better to produce Fe₃C than dense iron ore because of high reducibility of porous iron ore.