Materials Balance in the Bessemer Steelmaking Processes

Problem 1
An acid Bessemer converter blows 20 metric tons of the following pig iron: C = 4.0, Mn = 1.2, Si = 1.4, Fe =
93.4 %. Besides the impurities there is oxidised iron equivalent to 1.5 % of the pig; assume the iron oxidised at a
uniform rate. Three-fourths of the carbon goes to CO and one- fourth to CO2. The blast supplied at a constant
rate of 600 m3 per minute, measured at the standard conditions (1 atm, 273 K).
Required:
1. The total volume of air used
2. The time of each of the two periods of blow
3. The weight and percentage composition of the slag

Problem 2
An acid lined Bessemer converter blows 15 tons of pig iron in 12 min. The following impurities are oxidised:
C = 4.0, Si = 1.8, Mn = 0.8 %. Also, 3% of the iron is oxidised. Assume that iron is oxidised at a uniform rate
and that three-fourths of the carbon goes to CO, one-fourth to CO2.
Required:
1. Volume of air required
2. The length of the two periods of the blow.
3. The weight of the slag made.

Problem 3
A Bessemer converter is charged with 18 metric tons of pig iron from which the following impurities are
oxidised: C = 4.2, Si = 1.5, Mn = 0.7 %. Enough iron is also oxidised to make 24% FeO in the slag. Assume
that iron is oxidised at a uniform rate. The ratio of CO to CO2 is 3:1. The blowing engines supply per minute
510 m3 of air, measured at standard conditions.
Required:
1. The time of each of the two periods of the blow
2. The weight of the slag
3. The percentage composition of the gases in each period.

Problem 4
A charge of 10,000 kg pig iron is blown in a Bessemer converter, giving 527 kg of slag of the following
composition: SiO2 = 65.5, MnO = 13.5, FeO = 21 %. The gases from the converter amounts to 2760 m3 and
carry CO2 = 6.0, CO = 18.1, N2 = 75.9 %. The blowing engines supply per minute 400 m3 of air, measured at
standard conditions.
Required:
1. The composition of the pig iron used
2. The yield of pure iron left after the blow
3. The cubic metre of air required for the entire blow
4 The relative time occupied by the two periods.

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Problem 5
A Bessemer converter blows low-silicon high manganese pig iron until the steel remain certain C, Si and Mn
in it:
Pig iron: C = 4.36, Si = 0.95, Mn = 2.98, P = 0.02, Fe = 91.69 %
Steel: C = 0.74, Si = 0.04, Mn = 0.25 %
Slag: SiO2 = 47.25, MnO = 37.80, FeO = 9.45, Al2O3 = 4.22, MgO = 0.40,
P2O5 = None, CaO = 0.88 %
The charge is 20 metric tons and the weight of the steel is 18,400 kg. No flux is added, but there is corrosion
from the converter lining. The lining contains SiO2, FeO, Al2O3, MgO and CaO.
[Hints: Determine the total slag amount by Mn balance. Find the amount of SiO2 comes from lining by Si
balance and amount of Fe comes from lining by Fe balance. i.e. Si in pig iron + Si from lining = Si in steel
+ Si in slag, etc.]
Required:
1. The percentage removal of each of the impurities
2. The percentage composition of the lining
(Hints: Determine the total slag by Mnbalance

Problem 6
A basic Bessemer converter is charged with 20 metric ton of pig iron, together with a flux of CaO, and is
blown until it has 17.0 tons of Fe and 5720 kg of slag analysing 13 % SiO2, 5 MnO, 19 P2O5, 27 FeO, 36
CaO. Assume that the iron is oxidised at a uniform rate throughout the blow.
The carbon goes two-thirds to CO and one-third to CO2. The total blowing time is 28 min.
Required:
1. The total volume of air required for the blow
2. The time of eachperiod.

Problem 7
A Bessemer converter, lined with basic material, is charged with 20 tons of pig iron of the following
composition: Fe = 91.2%, C = 3.6%, Si = 1.7%, Mn = 1.1%, P = 2.4%. The blow oxidises all the C, Si, Mn,
and P and also Fe amounting to 5.6% of the pig iron. Assume that the Fe oxidises at a uniform rate throughout
the blow. Enough CaO is added to make 35% CaO in the slag. Two-thirds of the carbon goes to CO, one-third
to CO2. The blowing engines furnish 580 m3 of air per minute.
Required:
1. The volume of air necessary to blow the charge.
2. The length of each period of the blow.
3. The weight of CaO to be added, and the percentage composition of the slag.

Solution:
Basis: 20,000 kg pig iron

Si = 340 kg Si + O2 = SiO2 O required = 340 x (32/28) = 338.57 kg

(Please correct for this mistake where required)
Mn = 220 kg Mn + O = MnO O required = 220 x (16/55) = 64 kg
C CO2 = 240 kg C + O2 = CO2 O required = 240 x (32/12) = 640 kg
C CO = 480 kg C + O = CO O required = 480 x (16/12) = 640 kg
P = 480 kg 2P + 5O = P2O5 O required = 480 x (80/62) = 619.35 kg
Fe = 1120 kg Fe + O = FeO O required = 1120 x (16/56) = 320 kg

Total O required = 2621.92 kg

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Volume of air required = (2621.92 kg) x (22.4 m3 / 32 kg) x (100/21) = 8739.73 m3 at STP [1]

O supplied per minute = (580 m3) x (1.293 kg/m3) x (23.2/100) = 173.99 kg

In basic Bessemer process, three periods of blow can be identified. During the first period, Si and Mn are
oxidised. During the second period, all carbon is oxidised. In the third period, P is oxidised.

Time for 1st period (without Fe) = (338.57+64) kg / 173.99 kg/min = 2.31 min Time for
2nd period (without Fe) = (640+640) kg / 173.99 kg/min = 7.36 min Time for 3rd period
(without Fe) = 619.35 kg / 173.99 kg/min = 3.56 min

Time for Fe oxidation = 320 kg / 173.99 kg/min = 1.84 min

Total time for 1st period = 2.31 + 1.84 x 2.31 / (2.31+7.36+3.56) = 2.63 min
Total time for 2nd period = 7.36 + 1.84 x 7.36 / (2.31+7.36+3.56) = 8.38 min
Total time for 3rd period = 3.56 + 1.84 x 3.56 / (2.31+7.36+3.56) = 4.06 min [2]

SiO2 in slag = 340 + 338.57 = 678.57 kg MnO

in slag = 220+64 = 284 kg
P2O5 in slag = 480+619.35 = 1099.35 kg
FeO in slag = 720+320 = 1040 kg
Total slag without CaO = 3101.92 kg, which is (100-35) or 65% of the total slag
Total slag formed = 3101.92 kg / 0.65 = 4772.18 kg
Weight of CaO to be added = 4772.18 – 3101.92 kg = 1670.26 kg [3]

Slag analysis:
SiO2 = 678.57 kg = 14.22%
MnO = 284 kg = 5.95%
P2O5 = 1099.35 kg = 23.04%
FeO = 1040 kg = 21.79%
CaO = 1670.26 kg = 35.00% [3]

Total slag = 4772.18 kg = 100 %

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