New variants for making vanadium pig iron

Chusovoi Metallurgical Plant is very experienced in utilizing vanadium-bearing wastes for metallurgical production, having developed vanadium pig irons with high Mn and Cr contents using discarded vanadium pentoxide sludges. However, these sludges have an adverse effect on blast-furnace smelting conversion of Mn and Cr and also increase vanadium losses. Researchers have developed a new method to utilize wastes and semifinished products by melting titanium-free mixtures of iron ores in blast furnaces. The distribution coefficient (pig/slag ratio) increased from 2.3 to 9.5 and V recovery increased by 5.4% while V content of the slag declined by a factor of 3.8. Changes in slag composition and hence slag properties led to changes in the shape and size of the cohesion zone (CZ) as described and discussed in detail in this paper. It is concluded that quality alloy pig iron can be manufactured if the furnace charge (pellets and sinter) are free from titanium-bearing iron ores. The Ti content must be minimized!