Experimental evidence for electrochemical nature of the reaction between iron oxide in calcia-silica-alumina slag and carbon in liquid iron

The electrochemical nature of the reaction between iron oxide in calcia-silica-alumina slag and carbon in liquid iron has been studied by measuring the kinetics of the slag-metal reaction. A base slag (48 pct CaO-40 pct SiO2-12 pct Al2O3) containing iron oxide (≤8 wt pct FeOt) was reduced by an Fe-C metal bath (∼4 wt pct C) at 1400 °C. The reaction rate was calculated from measurements of the total inlet gas flow rate and the CO concentration in the outlet gas stream. The slag was “internally short circuited” by dipping an iron plate through the slag layer, and this resulted in an increase in the rate of CO evolution. An external circuit was produced by dipping a graphite rod (shielded from the slag) into the metal bath and a steel or molybdenum rod into the slag layer; the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current were measured when iron oxide was added to the base slag layer. The reaction rate was enhanced by applying a voltage across the slag layer, and an electric arc cathode was employed in some of these “electrolysis” experiments.