GOALI/IUCP: Electric-Field-Enhanced Smelting and Refining of Iron and Steel

将演示在工业规模的钢铁制造过程中提高炉渣-金属反应速率的方法。该方法包括创建外部电子传导电路，并在渣层上施加电场以增加通过外部电路的电流。该技术已在实验室规模上用于炉渣中的氧化铁与铁液中的碳之间的反应，即使在炉渣中氧化铁浓度较低的情况下，反应速率也提高了100%以上。该方法将在与不锈钢生产商相关的其他氧化物上进行测试，如Cr2O3和MnO。由于该过程的放大是一个重要目标，因此将利用流体流动和化学热力学软件开发一个综合的数学模型。这将产生一个预测流体速度、温度和组成作为位置和时间在渣相的函数。在这个项目中获得的实验室和数学建模结果，以及早期获得的氧化铁还原结果，将用于进行更大规模的测试。该技术的成功将最大限度地提高金属产量，限制或减少焦炭（还原剂）的需求，减少精炼时间和精炼剂的消耗，提高合金元素的产量，并最大限度地减少废物的产生。从本质上讲，它将为钢铁生产商带来显著的能源和成本节约以及环境效益。将进行工业实施的经济效益分析。

A method for increasing the rate of slag-metal reactions during iron and steel manufacture on an industrial scale, will be demonstrated. The method involves creating an external electronically conducting circuit and applying an electric field across the slag layer to increase the current through the external circuit. This technique has been demonstrated on a lab-scale for the reaction between iron oxide in slag and carbon in liquid iron, and the reaction rate was increased by over 100%, even at low concentrations of iron oxide in the slag. The method will be tested on other oxides that are relevant to the stainless steel producers, such as Cr2O3 and MnO. Since scale-up of the process is an important goal, a comprehensive mathematical model will be developed employing software for fluid flow and chemical thermodynamics. This will yield a prediction of fluid velocity, temperature, and composition as a function of position and time in the slag phase. The lab and mathematical modeling results obtained during this program, along with earlier results obtained on iron oxide reduction, will be used to conduct larger-scale tests. Success of this technology will maximize metallic yield, limit or decrease coke (reductant) requirements, decrease refining time and consumption of refining agents, improve yield of alloying elements and minimize waste generation. In essence, it will lead to significant energy and cost savings along with environmental benefits for the iron and steel producers. An economic benefit analysis of industrial implementation will be performed.