Influence of Process Parameters on Chromium Metallization During Chromite Pellet Pre-Reduction

Akmanova, Ainash; Issagulov, Aristotel; Sagintayeva, Saule; Aubakirov, Dastan; Issagulova, Diana; Myrzagaliyev, Aibar; Makhambetov, Yerbolat

doi:10.3390/met16101056

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Open AccessArticle

Influence of Process Parameters on Chromium Metallization During Chromite Pellet Pre-Reduction

by

Ainash Akmanova

^1,*,

Aristotel Issagulov

¹,

Saule Sagintayeva

¹,

Dastan Aubakirov

¹,

Diana Issagulova

¹

,

Aibar Myrzagaliyev

^1,2,*

and

Yerbolat Makhambetov

³

¹

Department of Metallurgy and New Materials, Abylkas Saginov Karaganda Technical University, Karaganda 100000, Kazakhstan

²

LLP “ERG Research & Development”, Aktobe 030000, Kazakhstan

³

Chemical-Metallurgical Institute Named After Zh. Abishev, Karaganda 100030, Kazakhstan

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Metals 2026, 16(10), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16101056

Submission received: 24 August 2026 / Revised: 17 September 2026 / Accepted: 18 September 2026 / Published: 22 September 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Extractive Metallurgy)

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Abstract

The present study compares the effects of temperature, holding time, and nominal carbon excess on the pre-reduction of Donskoy chromite pellets with semi-coke. FactSage equilibrium calculations were interpreted alongside three laboratory series with different baselines. At 180 min with activated bentonite and 25% carbon excess, chromium metallization increased from 58.5% at 1350 °C to 87.0% at 1500 °C. At 1400 °C with attapulgite and 10% excess, extending holding time from 195 to 210 min increased chromium metallization from 70.6% to 82.8%, while residual carbon decreased from 4.96 to 4.00 wt.%. At 1500 °C and 180 min with activated bentonite, increasing excess from 15% to 25% increased chromium metallization from 68.9% to 87.0% and residual carbon from 2.30 to 4.74 wt.%. These condition-specific endpoints do not establish factor interactions, an optimum regime, or a kinetic mechanism. Unavailable uncertainty estimates limit quantitative interpretation. Equilibrium predictions and elemental maps do not independently verify the experimental phase sequence. Any industrial benefits, including chromium recovery, energy consumption, and continuous-process performance, require further validation.

Keywords: chromite concentrate; chromite pellets; pre-reduction; carbothermic reduction; metallization; FactSage; high-carbon ferrochrome

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MDPI and ACS Style

Akmanova, A.; Issagulov, A.; Sagintayeva, S.; Aubakirov, D.; Issagulova, D.; Myrzagaliyev, A.; Makhambetov, Y. Influence of Process Parameters on Chromium Metallization During Chromite Pellet Pre-Reduction. Metals 2026, 16, 1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16101056

AMA Style

Akmanova A, Issagulov A, Sagintayeva S, Aubakirov D, Issagulova D, Myrzagaliyev A, Makhambetov Y. Influence of Process Parameters on Chromium Metallization During Chromite Pellet Pre-Reduction. Metals. 2026; 16(10):1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16101056

Chicago/Turabian Style

Akmanova, Ainash, Aristotel Issagulov, Saule Sagintayeva, Dastan Aubakirov, Diana Issagulova, Aibar Myrzagaliyev, and Yerbolat Makhambetov. 2026. "Influence of Process Parameters on Chromium Metallization During Chromite Pellet Pre-Reduction" Metals 16, no. 10: 1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16101056

APA Style

Akmanova, A., Issagulov, A., Sagintayeva, S., Aubakirov, D., Issagulova, D., Myrzagaliyev, A., & Makhambetov, Y. (2026). Influence of Process Parameters on Chromium Metallization During Chromite Pellet Pre-Reduction. Metals, 16(10), 1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16101056

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Influence of Process Parameters on Chromium Metallization During Chromite Pellet Pre-Reduction

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