THERMODYNAMIC AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH-ASH COAL IN THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-CARBON FERROCHROME

This paper presents the results of scientific research that served as the foundation for developing a technology for producing high-carbon ferrochrome using a new reducing agent in the charge-high-ash coal from the "Saryadyr" deposit. To analyze the carbothermic reduction of chromium, a method of complete thermodynamic modeling (CTM) of metallurgical processes was employed, implemented using the HSC Chemistry 10.0 software package over a temperature range of 600-2800 K. The thermodynamic analysis demonstrated that the production of carbon ferrochrome using high-ash coal does not lead to sharp technological deviations: the process proceeds stably, ensuring complete reduction of chromium and iron. An analysis of the silica and alumina content in the coal ash indicated that it can replace quartzite in the charge mixture. Based on the thermodynamic data, experimental studies of the high-carbon ferrochrome production process using Saryadyr high-ash coal were conducted in a high-temperature Tammann laboratory furnace. The Tammann resistance furnace is a research facility designed to model metallurgical processes at high temperatures. During the laboratory tests, experimental samples of high-carbon ferrochrome corresponding to grade FeCr800 were obtained.