James Ransford Dankwah

Reduction of FeO in EAF steelmaking slag by blends of metallurgical coke and end-of-life polyethylene terephthalate

Abstract The reduction of FeO containing slag by blends of metallurgical coke and end-of-life polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been investigated through experiments conducted in a laboratory scale horizontal tube furnace. Composite pellets of EAF slag (47·1%FeO) with coke, PET and blends of coke/PET (in four different proportions) were rapidly heated at 1550°C under high purity argon gas and the off gas was continuously analysed for CH4, CO and CO2 using an online infrared gas analyser (IR). The extent of reduction after ten minutes, level of carburisation and desulphurisation were determined for each carbonaceous reductant. The results show significant improvement in extent of reduction, level of carburisation and desulphurisation of the reduced metal when coke is blended with PET.

Reduction of FeO in EAF Steelmaking Slag by Blends of Metallurgical Coke and Waste Polypropylene

Abstract The reduction of FeO-containing slag by blends of metallurgical coke and waste polypropylene (PP) has been investigated through experiments conducted in a laboratory scale horizontal tube furnace. Composite pellets of EAF slag (47.1% FeO) with coke, PP and blends of coke/PP (in three different proportions) were rapidly heated at 1500 °C under high purity argon gas and the off gas was continuously analysed for CO and CO2 using an online infrared gas analyser (IR). The extent of reduction after fifteen minutes, level of carburisation and desulphurization were determined for each carbonaceous reductant. The results show that FeO can be effectively reduced from EAF slag to produce metallic iron using waste PP and its blends with coke as reductants; improvements in the extent of reduction and levels of carburisation and desulphurisation of the reduced metal were observed when coke was blended with PP.

Utilisation of post-consumer plastics in pre-reduction of higher manganese oxides in ferromanganese process

Abstract The pre-reduction of higher manganese oxides with post-consumer plastics as reductants has been investigated through experiments conducted in a laboratory scale horizontal tube furnace coupled with an off gas analysis through an online infrared (IR) gas analyser. Composite pellets of calcined manganese oxide (Mn3O4) with high density polyethylene (HDPE) (at C/O molar ratios of 1·5, 2·0 and 3·0) were heated rapidly to 1150°C under pure argon and the off gas was measured continuously by an IR analyser for CO, CO2 and CH4. The extent of reduction of Mn3O4 to MnO was calculated from a mass balance for removable oxygen. Solid reaction products were characterised by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis was used to confirm the presence of MnO. The results indicate that Mn3O4 can be successfully pre-reduced to MnO using HDPE as a reductant. Gas analysis studies indicated that the polymer is first converted to CH4 which cracked partially or reformed to H2, C and/or CO. Reduction of Mn3O4 to MnO was subsequently effected by C, CO, H2 and the residual CH4.

Effect of HDPE addition on the Pre-reduction of Mn3O4 to MnO by Metallurgical Coke

Abstract The effect of high density polyethylene (HDPE) addition on the pre-reduction of Mn3O4 to MnO by metallurgical coke (Coke) has been investigated through experiments conducted in a laboratory horizontal tube furnace coupled with off-gas analysis through an infrared (IR) gas analyser. Composite pellets of Mn3O4 with Coke, HDPE and blends of Coke with HDPE (in three different proportions) were rapidly heated at 1150 °C under pure argon gas and the off gas was analysed continuously for CO, CO2 and CH4. The extent of pre-reduction of Mn3O4 to MnO was then calculated by mass balance for removable oxygen. The results showed improvements in the extent of pre-reduction of Mn3O4 to MnO when coke is blended with HDPE. The time for complete pre-reduction was found to decrease with an increase in the amount of HDPE that was blended with coke. A decrease in CO2 emissions was observed with HDPE addition.

Production of Metallic Iron from Iron Oxide (Fe2O3) Using End-of-Life Rubber Tyre and its Blends with Metallurgical Coke as Reductants

The production of metallic iron from iron oxide using end-of-life tyres (RT) and its blends with metallurgical coke as reductants has been investigated through experiments conducted in a laboratory scale horizontal tube furnace. Composite pellets of iron oxide (96.89 % Fe2O3) with RT, coke and coke/RT blends (in four different proportions) were rapidly heated at 1500 °C under high purity argon gas and the off gas was continuously analysed for CO and CO2 using an online infrared gas analyser (IR). The extent of reduction after ten minutes, level of carburisation of the reduced metal and the total amount of CO2 emissions were determined for each carbonaceous reductant. The results indicate that metallic iron can be effectively produced from Fe2O3 using RT and its blends with coke as reductant. The extent of reduction and level of carburisation are significantly improved when coke is blended with RT. Blending of coke with RT resulted in significant decrease in CO2 emissions.