The Study of Additive Variation in Smelting Process of Sponge Iron into Pig Iron on the Fe Content and Fe Recovery Using Electric Arc Furnace

Abstract

Iron sand as the largest form of iron ore reserves in Indonesia has not been optimized properly for domestic iron-steel production. In the production chain of pig iron from iron sand, there is a problem that in sponge iron (result of direct reduction) contains many impurities, especially titanium. This research is conducted to determine the effect of additive variation to the Fe content and Fe recovery during sponge iron smelting process into pig iron using electric arc furnace (EAF). Types of additives variation that used in this research are CaCl2 and CaC2, as well as smelting without additive as comparison. Briquettes made from sponge iron, coal, flux (SiO2), and variations of additive are melted in crucible using EAF (16.2 Volt; 180 Ampere) for 6 minutes. Based on EDX and XRD results of pig iron and slag, the optimum process of sponge iron smelting is use the CaCl2 as additive. It’s shown by the result that the pig iron containing the highest %wt Fe by 90.97% and the highest Fe recovery by 80.41%. The product that used CaC2 as additive has Fe content of 89.31 %wt and Fe recovery during process of 72.36%. Meanwhile, the results obtained from the smelting without additives only shows that the Fe content in pig iron amounted to 88.90 %wt and 68.76% values for Fe Recovery.