Corrosion mechanism research and microstructure analysis of Baosteel No. 3 blast furnace hearth

Abstract

Baosteel No. 3 blast furnace hearth was divided into tuyere area, taphole area, taphole upper side wall and taphole lower side wall according to different working situations. Through chemical composition analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectrometry and other means, chemical composition and microstructure of different parts of hearth carbon brick were analyzed and markedly different corrosion mechanisms of these areas were found. Zn element in form of ZnO mainly deposited on the hot side of carbon brick. There was no obvious evidence that Zn permeates into carbon bricks and erodes them. Except for taphole area, K, Na, and Fe contents from hot side to cold side gradually rise and fall, resulting in the decrease of apparent porosity, the increase of density and the higher thermal conductivity compared with those of new carbon brick. The higher content of Fe in carbon brick leads to more serious erosion because Fe has greatly changed the physical properties of carbon brick. In the taphole area, the contents of Si and Al present obvious concentration gradient because of the mechanical souring of molten iron and slag. The SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ particles that have different expansion factors with carbon brick damaged the carbon substrate because of temperature fluctuation. The graphitized carbon found on H4 where is the most serious corrosion site means that the carbon brick ever directly contacts with molten iron.