Carbothermal Reductive Upgrading of a Bauxite Ore Using Microwave Radiation

The utilization of microwave radiation as the energy source for the carbothermal reductive upgrading of a bauxite ore was investigated. The bauxite ore was mechanically mixed with carbon and reacted in a quartz crucible in a multimode cavity. The iron oxide in the bauxite ore was reduced to magnetit...

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Main Authors: Lu T., Pickles C. A., Kelebek S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2012-04-01
Series:High Temperature Materials and Processes
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/htmp-2012-0002
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author Lu T.
Pickles C. A.
Kelebek S.
author_facet Lu T.
Pickles C. A.
Kelebek S.
author_sort Lu T.
collection DOAJ
description The utilization of microwave radiation as the energy source for the carbothermal reductive upgrading of a bauxite ore was investigated. The bauxite ore was mechanically mixed with carbon and reacted in a quartz crucible in a multimode cavity. The iron oxide in the bauxite ore was reduced to magnetite and/or iron and the magnetic fraction was separated using a Davis Tube Tester. Three experimental arrangements were utilized: (i) microwaving of the mixture, (ii) microwaving of the mixture plus charcoal layers under ambient conditions and (iii) microwaving of the mixture plus charcoal layers in argon. The utilization of the charcoal layers resulted in more uniform heating of the sample. The effects of irradiation time, sample mass and incident power on the mass of the magnetic fraction were determined. Both the iron and the aluminum contents of the magnetic fraction were measured and using these values, the iron removal from the bauxite ore and the alumina recovery in the non-magnetic fraction were calculated. It was shown that under mildly reducing conditions, almost half of the iron could be removed as magnetite. However, the formation of hercynite limited the iron separation as magnetite and higher iron removals could only be achieved through the formation of metallic iron under more highly reducing conditions.
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spelling doaj.art-c91de72ff18449379c27378e2b9cedee2022-12-21T22:40:05ZengDe GruyterHigh Temperature Materials and Processes0334-64552191-03242012-04-0131213914810.1515/htmp-2012-0002Carbothermal Reductive Upgrading of a Bauxite Ore Using Microwave RadiationLu T.0Pickles C. A.1Kelebek S.2Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaRobert M. Buchan Department of Mining, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaRobert M. Buchan Department of Mining, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaThe utilization of microwave radiation as the energy source for the carbothermal reductive upgrading of a bauxite ore was investigated. The bauxite ore was mechanically mixed with carbon and reacted in a quartz crucible in a multimode cavity. The iron oxide in the bauxite ore was reduced to magnetite and/or iron and the magnetic fraction was separated using a Davis Tube Tester. Three experimental arrangements were utilized: (i) microwaving of the mixture, (ii) microwaving of the mixture plus charcoal layers under ambient conditions and (iii) microwaving of the mixture plus charcoal layers in argon. The utilization of the charcoal layers resulted in more uniform heating of the sample. The effects of irradiation time, sample mass and incident power on the mass of the magnetic fraction were determined. Both the iron and the aluminum contents of the magnetic fraction were measured and using these values, the iron removal from the bauxite ore and the alumina recovery in the non-magnetic fraction were calculated. It was shown that under mildly reducing conditions, almost half of the iron could be removed as magnetite. However, the formation of hercynite limited the iron separation as magnetite and higher iron removals could only be achieved through the formation of metallic iron under more highly reducing conditions.https://doi.org/10.1515/htmp-2012-0002bauxitemicrowavescarbothermalthermodynamicsreductionmagnetic separationhercynitemagnetitemetallic iron
spellingShingle Lu T.
Pickles C. A.
Kelebek S.
Carbothermal Reductive Upgrading of a Bauxite Ore Using Microwave Radiation
High Temperature Materials and Processes
bauxite
microwaves
carbothermal
thermodynamics
reduction
magnetic separation
hercynite
magnetite
metallic iron
title Carbothermal Reductive Upgrading of a Bauxite Ore Using Microwave Radiation
title_full Carbothermal Reductive Upgrading of a Bauxite Ore Using Microwave Radiation
title_fullStr Carbothermal Reductive Upgrading of a Bauxite Ore Using Microwave Radiation
title_full_unstemmed Carbothermal Reductive Upgrading of a Bauxite Ore Using Microwave Radiation
title_short Carbothermal Reductive Upgrading of a Bauxite Ore Using Microwave Radiation
title_sort carbothermal reductive upgrading of a bauxite ore using microwave radiation
topic bauxite
microwaves
carbothermal
thermodynamics
reduction
magnetic separation
hercynite
magnetite
metallic iron
url https://doi.org/10.1515/htmp-2012-0002
work_keys_str_mv AT lut carbothermalreductiveupgradingofabauxiteoreusingmicrowaveradiation
AT picklesca carbothermalreductiveupgradingofabauxiteoreusingmicrowaveradiation
AT kelebeks carbothermalreductiveupgradingofabauxiteoreusingmicrowaveradiation