Gaseous reduction of iron oxides: Part IV. mathematical analysis of partial internal reduction-diffusion control

Abstract

In this mathematical analysis of gaseous reduction of iron oxides, the partial internal reduction of the porous oxide and gas diffusion in the porous iron layer are considered simultaneously in deriving the rate equation. The rate equation, derived by partly analytical and partly numerical solutions, is well substantiated by the experimental results obtained previously. The following parameters, determined previously, are used in the application of the rate equation: i) specific rate constant for the gas reaction on the pore walls of wustite, ii) pore surface area of wustite, iii) effective gas diffusivity in the porous wustite formed during reduction of hematite, and iv) effective gas diffusivity in the porous iron layer. The effective depth of the internal reduction zone at the wustite-iron diffuse interface increases steeply with the progress of reduction beyond about 50 pct O removal. For reduction of 1 to 2 cm diam hematite spheroids in 100 pct H₂, the gas composition at the diffuse iron-wustite interface is within 10 to 20 pct of that for the iron-wustite equilibrium; beyond about 50 pct O removal, the rate of reduction is controlled primarily by gas diffusion in the porous iron layer. From the mathematical analysis it is found that the relative depth of internal reduction increases with decreasing particle size and increasing temperature.