Reductant Formation Enthalpy in DC Ferrochrome Smelting: Merely Academic or Fundamental to Operation?

The start-up and operationOperation of DC furnacesDC furnace for ferrochromeFerrochrome and titania slag but also ferronickel and ferrocobalt have proven again and again to be more challenging than anticipated. A combination of few furnaces in operationOperation, a limitation on shared operational experience, quick response times between operational decisions and consequences, and a limited fundamental understanding of process mechanisms is a part of the causes for the results. Understanding the process chemistry, energy balance, and interactions between them is fundamental to investigating the mechanisms taking place in a DC furnaceDC furnace. As part of a PhD investigation of process mechanisms and behaviour of DC ferrochromeFerrochrome furnaces, this paper will describe the potential operational consequences of ignoring something as basic as the formation enthalpy of reductantsReductant. Only one of many pitfalls, reductantReductant is used as an example to demonstrate that fundamental understanding of process chemistry is required for designing, operating, and studying DC furnacesDC furnace. Only with at least an understanding of process chemistry it can be possible to connect operational experiences to process mechanisms. The paper will conclude with a brief discussion of the presented results, and how these relate to the PhD study.