Crystallization Behavior of CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-TiO2-FeO Slag with Different CaO/SiO2 Ratios

Titanium-extracted tailing is a by-product generated during titanium-bearing blast furnace slag treatment process. The crystallization behavior of the titanium-extracted tailing during the cooling process is significant to its utilization for glass ceramics preparation. In this work, the CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-TiO2-FeO slag was used to explore the effect of CaO/SiO2 ratios on titanium-extracted tailing crystallization. FactSage 8.2 calculation and mineralogical characterizations were conducted to investigate the phase and microstructure evolution during the slag cooling process. Single hot thermocouple technique (SHTT) was employed for in situ observation of the crystallization process of the slag during the cooling process. The obtained results indicated that the perovskite, melilite, spinel, diopside and anorthite phases would be crystallized during the cooling process when the CaO/SiO2 ratios of the slag were 0.7–1.1. Increasing the CaO/SiO2 ratio to 1.3 and 1.5 promoted the crystallization of olivine and merwinite phases, however, inhibited the crystallization of diopside and anorthite phases. The initial crystallization temperature and the liquid phase disappeared temperature of the slag enhanced with improving CaO/SiO2 ratios. The initial crystallization temperature was controlled by perovskite phase precipitation when the CaO/SiO2 ratios of slag reached 0.7–1.3. Whereas the initial crystallization temperature was controlled by the crystallization of spinel phase when the CaO/SiO2 ratio of slag was 1.5. The incubation time for crystal nucleation reduced with increasing CaO/SiO2 ratios that promoted slag crystallization. Moreover, increasing the CaO/SiO2 ratio from 0.7 to 1.5 enhanced the critical cooling rate from 4 °C s−1 to 11 °C s−1.