PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF REDUCTION OF VANADIUM OXIDE FROM LIQUID BLAST-FURNACE-TYPE SLAGS

In this paper,experimental data on a kinetic study of the reduction of vanadium oxide from liquid blast-furnace-type slags into carbon-saturated iron and on the silicon-vanadium equilibrium are reported.The mechanism of reduction of vanadium oxide from the slag phase into the metalphase is discussed and the various factors affecting the recovery of vanadium in blast-furnace smelting of vanadium-bearing iron ores are explained in the light of the presentresults.By a comparison of our experimental results with industrial data,it has been shownthat the silicon-vanadium equilibrium is not reached in the blast-furnace hearth.Con-sequently,measures have been suggested for increasing the recovery of vanadium andlowering the silicon/vanadium ratio in the pig iron obtained in blast-furnace smelting ofvanadium-bearing iron ores.