Corrosion behavior of carbon, Al2O3, and MgO refractories during the preparation of a Ti–Si–Al alloy via the aluminothermic reduction of a Ti-bearing blast-furnace slag

The extraction of Ti from Ti-bearing blast-furnace slag (TBFS) via aluminothermic reduction to prepare Ti–Si–Al alloy has several promising applications. However, the refractories of the furnace lining can dissolve into the molten slag and change the composition of the slag, not only shortening the life of the refractories, but also influencing the preparation of Ti–Si–Al alloys for industrial applications. The main purpose of this study was to explore the corrosion behavior of refractories (carbon, alumina, and magnesia bricks) and determine the most suitable refractories for the aluminothermic reduction of TBFS. Herein, for the first time, the dissolution equilibrium of refractories during the aluminothermic reduction of TBFS and its effect on aluminothermic reduction were revealed. The results revealed that the alumina and magnesia bricks were more effective for obtaining bulk Ti–Si–Al alloy and avoiding high mass loss of the Ti–Si–Al alloy compared to the carbon bricks. Furthermore, the corrosion of alumina and magnesia bricks increased with an increase in the content of the added CaO; however, the corrosion of the alumina bricks was more severe compared to the magnesia bricks. In addition, the largest extraction ratio of Ti (maximum value: 99.85%) was achieved when magnesia bricks were employed. The results of this study indicate that magnesia bricks are the optimal refractory for the preparation of Ti–Si–Al alloy via the aluminothermic reduction of TBFS. This work provides important experimental information for the industrial application of the aluminothermic reduction of TBFS in the preparation of Ti–Si–Al alloys.