Wettability and Interfacial Permeability between Prereduced Ilmenite and Molten Pig Iron

The interfacial phenomena between molten pig iron and ilmenite prereduced with carbon and hydrogen were investigated. The wettability of prereduced ilmenite discs by molten pig iron was evaluated through measuring contact angle by the sessile droplet method. The effects of melting temperature, prereduction temperature and reduction degree on contact angle were examined. Molten pig iron could not be wetted by ilmenite prereduced with carbon and hydrogen, and the contact angle increases with increasing prereduction temperature. The contact angles of ilmenite prereduced with hydrogen are higher than that of ilmenite prereduced with carbon at the same reduction degree. The permeation of molten pig iron into porous ilmenite was observed at the interface of specimens prereduced with carbon and enhanced at higher reduction temperature. On the other hand, in the case of ilmenite prereduced with hydrogen, the permeation was not observed. These results indicate clearly that the separation between molten pig iron and reduced ilmenite can be enhanced by hydrogen reduction process, even at lower temperature than that of carbon reduction process