What is Ferro Chrome Alloy?
Ferrochrome is produced by melting a mixture of chrome ore and iron in an electric arc furnace. Ferrochrome is widely used in the casting and steel industries, as well as for the production of low and medium carbon structural steel, chrome steel, and alloy structural steel. The primary producers of ferrochrome are South Africa, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and India.
Low Carbon Ferro Chrome
Low-carbon ferrochrome is a type of ferrochrome with a carbon content of 0.50 or less. Its production materials include ferrosilicon chrome alloy, chrome ore, and limestone, and it is produced by various smelting methods. Low-carbon ferrochrome is used in many industries, and in the steel industry, it is a necessary iron alloy additive for the production of stainless steel and special steel, as it can improve the steel’s oxidation and corrosion resistance.
The Specification of Low Carbon Ferro Chrome
LC FeCr: Cr:60-65% C:0.03% Si:1.0%
LC FeCr: Cr:60-65% C:0.06% Si:1.0%
LC FeCr: Cr:60-65% C:0.1% Si:1.5%
LC FeCr: Cr:60-65% C:0.25% Si:1.5%
LC FeCr: Cr:60-65% C:1.0% Si:1.5%
Low Carbon Ferro Chrome Production
Two common methods of producing low-carbon ferrochrome are high-carbon ferrochrome refining and oxygen blowing. High-carbon ferrochrome refining can be achieved using either chrome ore or oxygen. Oxygen blowing refers to the process of blowing oxygen directly into liquid high-carbon ferrochrome to decarburize it and produce medium and low carbon ferrochrome. Raw materials for oxygen blowing include high-carbon ferrochrome, chrome ore, limestone, and ferrosilicon chrome alloy.
Electric silicon thermal smelting is the other method used to produce low-carbon ferrochrome. This method involves using an electric furnace to reduce the oxide compounds of chromium and iron in chrome ore with the silicon in ferrosilicon chrome alloy. Its raw materials include chrome ore, ferrosilicon chrome alloy, and limestone. The smelting temperature is high, and the lining of the furnace deteriorates quickly due to the high temperature.
Zhenxin Metallurgy has four low-carbon ferrochrome production lines, equipped with 12 vacuum smelting furnaces. The smelted low-carbon ferrochrome products have higher carbon content, also known as micro-carbon ferrochrome.
Vacuum smelting of low-carbon ferrochrome or micro-carbon ferrochrome is mainly used to produce ultra-low-carbon stainless steel, high-chromium stainless steel, heat-resistant steel and high-strength corrosion-resistant steel alloy materials required by the atomic energy industry, chemical industry, and aviation industry.
Smelting Principle of Low-carbon Ferrochrome by Vacuum Method
Micro-carbon ferrochrome smelted by vacuum solid-state decarburization method is made by grinding high-carbon ferrochrome into powder, adding oxidant, pressing, drying and vacuum smelting.
The product of the reaction, carbon monoxide, is continuously drawn out, so the reaction can be started at a lower temperature, and the decarburization reaction can be completed in the solid state to obtain ferrochromium with a very low carbon content.