REDUCTIVE SMELTING OF GREEK BAUXITE RESIDUES FOR IRON PRODUCTION

The reductive smelting of Greek bauxite residues was investigated for the production of an iron product that meets some crucial industrial requirements as a blast furnace feed. Fine-grained Greek bauxite residue - either as is or in the form of pellets - and solid fuel reducing agents -lignite and coke-, were used as raw materials. The effect of parameters such as the smelting temperature, the amount of the reducing agent in the mixture, the retention time and the addition of fluxes on the quality of the metallic product, as well as the basicity and the desulfurization capability of the slag, was investigated. The results obtained regarding the chemical properties of the metallic product were very promising, providing input for further research on the optimization of the proposed pyrometallurgical method for the production of an attractive ferrous raw material for the iron ore industry.