Effects of Basicity and Al2O3 Content on the Chemistry of Phases in Iron Ore Sinter Containing ZnO

The effects of basicity and Al2O3 content on the chemistry of phases in iron ore sinter containing ZnO were investigated by Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Bulk composition analysis was carried out using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and wet-chemical analysis. The composition of each phase was investigated using a scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (SEM-EDX). It was found that ZnO exists in the franklinite and the silicoferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) phases. With increasing ZnO content, the phase fraction of the franklinite increased, while the fraction of SFCA slightly increased. When ZnO content was fixed at 1 wt pct and basicity increased, the fraction of franklinite decreased and that of SFCA increased. Here, the solubility of ZnO in the SFCA increased. As the Al2O3 content increased, the fraction of franklinite decreased and that of SFCA increased, while ZnO content in the SFCA did not change significantly.