Decarburisation of Fe-C alloy strips by gas–solid reaction in Ar-CO-CO2

The gas–solid reaction decarburisation of cast iron strips is a direct steel production method with low production costs. In this study, the decarburisation kinetics of Fe-C alloy strips in an Ar-CO-CO2 atmosphere were investigated. Fe-C alloy strips with 4.2 wt.% C and different thicknesses (1, 1.5, and 2 mm) were used for the decarburisation experiments under temperatures of 1293, 1353, and 1413 K. The results indicate that, under appropriate mixed gas conditions, rapid decarburisation can be achieved. With an increase in the decarburisation temperature, the decarburisation rate increases significantly. Under the same decarburisation temperature and time, thinner Fe-C alloy strips exhibit a better decarburisation effect. The decarburisation process includes three rate-limiting stages, namely gas and surface reaction, carbon diffusion, and cementite decomposition. The microstructure of the decarburised strips comprises a complete decarburised layer and a partial decarburised layer, and the thickness of the complete decarburised layer increases with decarburisation time. The decarburisation of the Fe-C alloy strip is an apparent first-order reaction with an activation energy of 124.7 kJ ∙ mol−1, and the activation energy for the growth of the complete decarburised layer is 132.3 kJ ∙ mol−1. The results of this study can help develop more efficient and cost-effective steel production methods.