Reduction Potential Evaluation Index of Various Reducing Agents in Blast Furnace

In blast furnace operation, reducing agent ratio (RAR) is an important index. The RAR is defined only as a sum of weights, without considering the kind of reducing material. Here the author proposes a new reducing potential index, ReP, which considers the difference of reducing material composition under the real blast furnace condition that gas utilization ratios (ηCO and ηH2) are 50%. Namely, ReP is set as C = 3, H = 0.5, O = –2, (N = 0) (ReP/kmol). This index evaluates reduction potentials of various reducing materials in a uniform manner. Latter part of this report includes an example of blast furnace operation analysis using ReP. Extended case studies that concern utilization of partially reduced ore, utilization of mixture of ferrous and carbonous materials, and gas utilization ratio changes far from 50%, are performed. When gas utilization ratios change from 50%, ReP is available if extended ReP is set as C = 2 + 2ηCO, H = ηH2, O = –2, (N = 0) (ReP/kmol).