Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 3, S1036 (2008)

Regular Articles


Microwave Frequency Effect for Reduction of Magnetite
Sadatsugu TAKAYAMA, Guido LINK1), Akihiro MATSUBARA2), Saburo SANO3), Motoyasu SATO and Manfred THUMM1)
National Institute for Fusion Science,322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki 509-5292, Japan
1)
Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, IHM, P.O.Box 3640, Karlsruhe 76021, Germany
2)
Chubu University 1200, Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai-shi, Aichi 487-8501, Japan
3)
Advanced Industrial Science and Technology,2266-98,Anagahora,Shimoshidami, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya 463-8560, Japan
(Received 16 November 2007 / Accepted 5 February 2008 / Published 25 June 2008)

Abstract

In this paper, pig iron production by microwave heating is experimentally investigated. In order to explore possible effects of the microwave frequency, identical mixtures of magnetite and carbon powder were processed in different microwave systems operating at 2.45 GHz and 30 GHz, respectively. The weight ratio of magnetite and carbon in the powder mixture was 89:11 weight%. According to the corresponding chemical equation, this should allow to produce pig iron that includes 2 weight% of carbon. High-quality pig iron was obtained in the 30 GHz heating system in air. At 2.45 GHz heating in nitrogen gas, pig iron was obtained. However, under similar conditions of 30 GHz heating system in air, FeO was mainly obtained. This result suggests that the chemical reduction of magnetite is more efficient at higher microwave frequencies.


Keywords

microwave processing, millimeter-wave processing, magnetite, pig iron

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.3.S1036


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This paper may be cited as follows:

Sadatsugu TAKAYAMA, Guido LINK, Akihiro MATSUBARA, Saburo SANO, Motoyasu SATO and Manfred THUMM, Plasma Fusion Res. 3, S1036 (2008).