Production of Metallic Iron from Iron Oxide (Fe2O3) Using End-of-Life Rubber Tyre and its Blends with Metallurgical Coke as Reductants
The production of metallic iron from iron oxide using end-of-life tyres (RT) and its blends with metallurgical coke as reductants has been investigated through experiments conducted in a laboratory scale horizontal tube furnace. Composite pellets of iron oxide (96.89 % Fe2O3) with RT, coke and coke/RT blends (in four different proportions) were rapidly heated at 1500 °C under high purity argon gas and the off gas was continuously analysed for CO and CO2 using an online infrared gas analyser (IR). The extent of reduction after ten minutes, level of carburisation of the reduced metal and the total amount of CO2 emissions were determined for each carbonaceous reductant. The results indicate that metallic iron can be effectively produced from Fe2O3 using RT and its blends with coke as reductant. The extent of reduction and level of carburisation are significantly improved when coke is blended with RT. Blending of coke with RT resulted in significant decrease in CO2 emissions.