Effect of processing parameters on production of TiO 2 rich slag and iron from metallised ilmenite in a moving bed reactor

Abstract

Thermal plasma technology is emerging as one of the ecofriendly processes for metallurgical applications owing to stringent government restriction on pollution and disposal of effluents especially in wet chemical routes. One of the main drawbacks of thermal plasma process is higher specific electrical power consumption, which makes it economically non-competitive especially in developing countries where power is costlier. Regional Research Laboratory, Bhubaneswar [RRL(B)], since long ago has remained engaged in establishing such thermal plasma processes for the smelting of ilmenite to titania slag and pig iron. Based on such earlier experience of carrying out smelting in static bed reactor, a new concept to carry out the same has been introduced in the present work. It involves design and fabrication of a moving bed reactor and establishing a correlation between various operational parameters such as power, linear speed of the reactor, degree of metallisation, etc., all with the aim of minimisation of specific power consumption at acceptable yields of titania slag and pig iron.