Obtaining of niobium-containing ferroalloys from the Russian ore raw materials

Abstract

The possibility of processing niobium-containing pyrochlore-apatite concentrates obtained from ores of Beloziminskoye deposit has been studied. A two-stage scheme for selective reduction of phosphorus into a metal phase to obtain low-phosphorus niobium-containing slag was suggested. The reduction of phosphorus and iron was carried out by a carbothermic method using coke and pig iron carbon as the reducing agent. Pig iron chip and magnetite product (80 % Fe2O3) were used as the precipitating agent. In laboratory and semi-industrial conditions the basic possibility of selective separation and sedimentation of phosphorus (to 91 %) and iron from a niobic concentrate without considerable reduction of niobium (up to 1-2 %), according to the two-stage scheme with minimum possible temperature of process during the first period (∼ 1260 C) and hot soak at the increased temperature (∼ 1450 C) during the second period were shown. Obtained low-phosphorus niobium-containing slag after crushing can be used for ferroniobium production according to existing technological schemes. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.