Variation of the redox conditions and the resultant phase assemblages during iron ore sintering

• The oxygen potential in a sinter bed is measured by a zirconia oxygen probe to be ~ 0.01 atm.
• This oxygen potential in the sinter is appreciably more oxidizing than previous estimates.
• The contents of a quenched sinter pot show that at the flame front, only magnetite and slag are present.
• SFCA phases only form to a limited extent at the top of the quenched bed.
• Thermodynamic modeling at a pO2 of 0.01 atm is in qualitative agreement with the phase analysis of the sinter pot.

The oxygen potential prevailing during iron ore sintering was measured with a zirconia sensor in a series of sinter pot experiments. This was done to get a better indication of the redox conditions during commercial sintering. It was found that the pO2 is appreciably more oxidizing than previously assumed, with a minimum value of ~ 0.01 atm. It is concluded that this value represents the oxygen potential of the gas phase and it is therefore a mixture of combustion gas and downdraft air.The contents of a quenched sinter pot where the reactions were interrupted with the flame front situated midway through the sinter bed were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis, using an internal standard to quantify the amorphous slag phase, revealed that at the flame front only magnetite and slag were present. SFCA phases only formed at the top of the bed after the flame front had passed.Thermodynamic modeling of the phases at equilibrium agree qualitatively with the phase analysis and explained the extensive presence of magnetite and melt, as well as the formation of calcium ferrite phases during cooling below 1100 °C.