Introduction
Fe-P ore is a basic raw material for production of ferroalloys and is also an important industrial raw material. Currently, the vast majority of Chinas ferroalloys are produced by the reduction smelting of Fe-P ore. Since the starting of the new century, due to the rapid development of Chinas heavy industry and the increase in steel production, the demand for ferroalloys has increased greatly. As the resources of direct reducible types of ore are limited, Fe-P ore has become an important raw material for ferroalloys production.
Composition and benefits
Fe-P ore is composed of ferrous ore and phosphorus ore, and has been proven to contain a certain amount of vanadium, titanium and other elements that are beneficial to steel production. Fe-P ore has been used in production of ferroalloys for many years, because it is of good quality and has a low phosphorus content. It is extracted directly from nature and the production cost is low.
Production Method
Fe-P ore is usually produced by separating the ferrous ore and phosphorus ore using flotation. In the flotation process, the separated ferrous ore and phosphorus ore solution is filtered and the resultant mixture is passed to a separation tank. In the separation tank, the differentiating ore is separated by a combination of gravitational force, mechanical stirring and bubbles created by air injection. The ferrousoxide concentrate produced by the flotation process is then sent to the roasting and reduction furnace. The furnace is operated at high temperature to separate the ferrous oxide concentrate into iron and phosphorus. The final product is the ferrous phosphate ore which can be used for further smelting or can be sold as is.
Application
Fe-P ore is widely used in steel making process. When the ore is smelted in the furnaces and mixed with other raw materials, it can form iron alloys with different compositions, thus creating steel products with a variety of physical and chemical characteristics. For example, Fe-P ore is used as an alloying agent in the production of stainless steel, which has strong corrosion resistance and is widely used for utensils and surgical tools. Fe-P ore is also used in the production of alloyed tool steels, which are greatly used in tool-making and can greatly improve the cutting performance of the tools.
Conclusion
Fe-P ore has many advantages, such as good quality with low phosphorus, low production cost and widely used in steel production. It has a wide range of applications and can be used to create many different types of steel products with different physical and chemical characteristics. Thus, Fe-P ore has become an important raw material for ferroalloys production and is one of the most important industrial raw materials in China.
