Erokhin Yu.V., Zakharov A.V., Leonova L.V. Material Composition of Vanadium Slags at the Alapayevsk Metal-lurgical Plant

DOI: 10.18503/1995-2732-2020-18-2-13-21

Abstract

Problem Statement (Relevance): The Ural region has been a metallurgical center of Russia for over 300 years, and for such a long period a large amount of man-made waste (slag) has accumulated in this region. The study of the material composition of slags is currently important, since you need to understand what kind of a mineral composition we are dealing with before disposing them. Many slags are potential ores that can be further processed; some of them are technology-related refractories, etc. Objectives: The study of the material (mineral) composition of slags formed when producing ferrovanadium at the Alapayevsk Metallurgical Plant. Methods Applied: The chemical composition of rock-forming and ore minerals is identified using a JSM-6390LV Scanning Electron Microscope by Jeol, including INCA Energy 450 X-Max 80, the energy dispersive attachment by Oxford Instruments (the Institute of Geology and Geochemistry, the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg). To analyze the composition, the authors used polished petrographic thin sections cut from pieces of slag. Originality: A material composition of the slags was studied from a point of view of classical mineralogy and using the modern mandatory nomenclature of the International Mineralogical Association. Findings: For the first time, mineralogy of ferrovanadium slags from the Alapayevsk Metallurgical Plant was studied. It has been established that they are composed of an akermanite-merwinite aggregate with a significant content of spinel and perovskite, as well as the constant presence of balls of cast iron and khamrabaevite. These slags are wastes of ferroalloy production, or rather, the primary stage of producing ferrovanadium, when vanadium cast iron is formed as a result of blast furnace smelting of vanadium-containing titanomagnetite concentrate; vanadium cast iron is used to produce ferrovanadium through a complex chain. The slag formation temperature is determined by the content of the aluminous gehlenite molecule in the akermanite matrix and estimated at 1400-1390°C. Practical Relevance: The slags under our study can be recycled, as they contain vanadium cast iron and perovskite. In addition, spinel and khamrabaevite, like solid minerals, can be extracted by abrasives.

Keywords

Akermanite, mervinite, spinel, perovskite, mineralogy, slags, the Alapayevsk Metallurgical Plant.

For citation

Erokhin Yu.V., Zakharov A.V., Leonova L.V. Material Composition of Vanadium Slags at the Alapayevsk Metallurgical Plant. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2020, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 13–21. https://doi.org/10.18503/1995-2732-2020-18-2-13-21

Yury V. Erokhin – PhD (Geology and Mineralogy), Lead Researcher, Institute of Geology and Geochemistry, the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0002-0577-5898

Anatoly V. Zakharov – Researcher, Institute of Geology and Geochemistry, the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0001-8790-7892

Lyubov V. Leonova – PhD (Geology and Mineralogy), Senior Researcher, Institute of Geology and Geochemistry, the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0002-7713-8994

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