Preliminary study of the technology of vacuum-thermal production of low-carbon ferrochrome

In this study, existing and promising methods of processing fine fractions and dust of aspiration systems for the production of ferroalloys were analyzed. The technological properties of high-carbon ferrochrome screenings and dust of the ferrochrome crushing aspiration system of the Aktobe Ferroalloy Plant as raw materials for the production of low-carbon ferrochrome briquettes using the vacuum-thermal method were studied. The contents of basic and impurity elements, including gas-forming ones, were determined. The oxygen content in the dust reached 4.2 and 0.12% in the screening. The average size of aspiration dust particles was 9.6 μm, whereas that of the ferrochrome screenings was 1.44 mm. In the dust and screening samples, the main phase was Cr₇C₃, and graphite was present in the dust sample. During thermal analysis, the dust sample completely melted at 1453 °C, and a liquid phase was not observed when ferrochrome was heated. At 1340 °C, the formation of iron silicide was noted. With increasing temperature, the concentrations of carbon and chromium carbide decreased. From thermodynamic calculations, recommendations were given on the parameters of vacuum-thermal decarburization of high-carbon ferrochrome. The results of preliminary experiments confirmed the possibility of removing carbon from screenings and aspiration dust. From samples containing 9.04–9.11% carbon, ferrochrome with a content of 0.10% carbon could be obtained. At the next stage of our work, we plan to work out in detail the parameters affecting the vacuum-heat treatment of ferrochrome. We assume that ferrochrome with a carbon content of 0.00x% can be obtained.