Re-examination on isothermal oxidation kinetics of vanadium-titanium magnetite pellets

The factors affecting the oxidation degree of vanadium-titanium magnetite (VTM) pellets were analyzed via the isothermal oxidation experiment. Furthermore, the oxidation kinetics of VTM pellets were explored through linear fitting to the kinetic equations based on the shrinking unreacted-core model. The results reveal that VTM pellets undergo oxidation in three distinct phases: pre-oxidation, mid-oxidation, and final stable phase. Notably, the mid-oxidation phase is absent in magnetite oxidation. The shrinking unreacted-core model has been proven to be suitable for modeling the process of oxidizing VTM pellets. In the pre-oxidation stage, the rate-controlling step is determined by both the oxidation temperature and the effective oxygen concentration. The influence of the effective oxygen concentration on the rate of oxidation is more pronounced at temperatures between 1073 and 1273 K, especially when the oxygen content falls below 15 vol.%. For the production of oxidized VTM pellets, it is necessary to maintain a preheating temperature above 1173 K (to accelerate the oxidation reaction) and below 1473 K (to prevent the swift formation of compact Fe₂TiO₅ at the shell of the pellet) in an oxygen-enriched atmosphere.