Influence of Al 2 O 3 Content and Cooling Rate on Crystallization in Fe 2 O 3 –CaO–SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 Systems

The behavior of silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) phases and the influence of sintered ore quality were investigated using a confocal laser scanning microscope to understand how the Al 2 O 3 content of iron ore affects the sintered ore structure and the crystallization behavior of SFCA in a Fe 2 O 3 –CaO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 pseudo-quaternary system. The experimental results were used to inform simulations of the heterogeneous dynamic behavior in response to the rapid temperature changes and various chemical compositions typically encountered in actual sintering processes. Increasing the Al 2 O 3 content in the Fe 2 O 3 –CaO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 pseudo-quaternary system led to the hematite content decreasing, which affects the reducibility of the sintered ore. The correlation between the creation of SFCA and the cooling effect associated with varying the Al 2 O 3 is discussed in detail. Graphic Abstract