Production of SiMn-Alloys by Natural Gas and Carbon Black

Currently, the main carbonaceous material for Mn-alloys production is solid carbon, i.e. coke, charcoal and petroleum coke, which is produced with large CO2 emissions. Due to the simple purification, high carbon activity and low CO2 emissions, natural gas has some advantages compared with conventional reducing agents. The aim of the present project is to develop a new technology for production of Mn-alloys using natural gas as a source of carbon. Experimental results indicated that injection of CH4 gas directly into melted slag reduced slightly the MnO and SiO2. However, the metal yield was much less than the theoretical value due to a relative low residence time of CH4 in the slag. The alternative approach was to use carbon black as reductant, produced by CH4 decomposition. The preliminary experimental results showed a high reduction rate using carbon black.