Decomposition behavior and kinetics of limestone in early converter slag

The decomposition of limestone in converter slag directly determines the speed of slag melting for lime that has a strong effect on the steelmaking process of the converter. In this paper, a high temperature furnace was used to study the decomposition behavior of cylindrical limestone samples in the converter early slag at the temperatures of 1250 °C, 1300 °C, and 1350 °C under laboratory conditions, and macro-dynamics equation was used to determine the rate-determining step for limestone decomposition in the converter early slag. The results show that when the limestone is decomposed in the early converter slag, the heat transfer from the slag through the lime layer to the unreacted core is the rate-determining step. The limestone decomposition rate in converter slag is slightly lower than that in hot metal. Finally, the suitable grain size of the limestone added into the converter was determined. Thus, this study provides theoretical guidelines for practical use of converter steelmaking in industrial production.