Study of possibility of cerium reduction from slags of CaO-SiO2-Ce2O3–15%Al2O3–8%MgO system

Abstract

Abstract By means of theoretical and experimental studies it is shown that it is possible to reduction cerium from the slags of the CaO–SiO2–Ce2O3 system containing 15%Al2O3 and 8 % MgO, by aluminum dissolved in metal, at temperatures of 1550 and 1650°C. The results of mathematical modeling are presented graphically as ‘composition – equilibrium content of cerium in metal’ diagrams. It is found that depending on temperature of metal, basicity of slag and the content of cerium oxide, from 0.055 to 16 ppm cerium passes into metal containing 0.06 % of carbon, 0.25 % of silicon and 0.055 % of aluminium. Positive influence of the temperature factor, basicity of slags and the content of cerium oxide in a studied range of chemical composition on process of cerium reduction is explained from the perspective of phase structure of formed slags and thermodynamics of reactions of cerium reduction. The possibility of reduction of cerium from slags of CaO–SiO2–Ce2O3 system, containing 15 % Al2O3 and 8 % MgO, has been experimentally confirmed. It has been shown that at basicity of 5 and 4 % of Ce2O3 in slag up to 16 ppm cerium passes into metal during 10 minutes exposure.