Non-isothermal crystallization behavior of spinel crystals in FeO-SiO2-TiO2-V2O3-Cr2O3 slag

Abstract

The growth behaviour of spinel crystals in vanadium slag with high Cr2O3 content was investigated and clarified by statistical analyses based on the Crystal Size Distribution (CSD) theory. The results indicate that low cooling rate and Cr2O3 content benefit the growth of spinel crystals. The chromium spinel crystals firstly precipitated and then acted as the heterogeneous nuclei of vanadium and titanium spinel crystals. The growth mechanisms of the spinel crystals at the cooling rate of 5 K/min consist two regimes: firstly, nucleation control in the temperature range of 1873 to 1773 K, in which the shapes of CSD curves are asymptotic; secondly, surface and supply control within the temperature range of 1773 to 1473 K, in which the shapes of CSD curves are lognormal. The mean diameter of spinel crystals increases from 3.97 to 52.21 µm with the decrease of temperature from 1873 to 1473 K.