HEAT ENGINEERING

ANALYSIS OF THE MOVEMENT OF MAGNESITE

IN A ROTARY KILN

K. V. Simonov, A. G. Luzin, UDC 666.76:68.041.45.001.4

V. P. Mitin, V. V. Klimov,
D. A. Plotnikov, a n d S. D . K o z h e v n i k o v

The processes developing in rotary kilns, notably when roasting cement and other construction mate-
rials [1-5], are being studied with the aid of radiosotopes in the Soviet Union and elsewhere. Itwas deemed
of interest to test this method in an investigation of the kiln processes when calcining indigenous magne-
site.
This a r t i c l e r e p r e s e n t s a r e p o r t on an investigation of the m a g n e s i t e m o v e m e n t and the r a t i o of dust
f o r m a t i o n in the individual zones of a 90 m e t e r long r o t a r y kiln c a r r i e d out with the help of r a d i o i s o t o p e s .
The outside d i a m e t e r of the kiln is 3.5 m , the inside d i a m e t e r 3.04 m and the slope of the kiln 4.08~. The
kiln r o t a t e s at 1.11 r p m , the p e r i p h e r a l speed of the outer lining s u r f a c e is 0.175 m / s e e , and the p r o d u c -
tivity:of the kiln is 10.5-12.5 tons calcined powder p e r hour. The c h a r g e r a t e is 39-40 tons r a w m a g n e s i t e
finer than 40 m m per hour. The length of the cooler is 36 m, the outside d i a m e t e r 2.8 m, and the slope
3.5%. It r o t a t e s at 2.31 r p m .
The r a d i o a c t i v e t r a c e r was in the f o r m of raw m a g n e s i t e i r r a d i a t e d in IVV-2 a p p a r a t u s with r e s p e c t
to the e l e m e n t s Ca 47 and Fe 59. An a n a l y s i s p r o m p t e d a decision to the effect that account should be taken
solely of those c o m p o n e n t s which contribute significantly to the activation of m a g n e s i t e , viz., the stable
isotopes Ca 4~ and Fe 58, which under i r r a d i a t i o n with t h e r m a l neutrons a r e c o n v e r t e d to the r a d i o i s o t o p e s
Ca r and Fe 59.
C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the I s o t o p e s
Indices Ca47 Fe 59
Half-life Ti/2, d a y s 4.7 45
Radiation energy E T m a x , MeV 1.31 1.29
G a m m a constant KT, r / h 5.14 6.25

The r e m a i n i n g e l e m e n t s (Si 3~ Mg 2G, and A127) w e r e left out of account owing to t h e i r short half-life
of 2.62 h, 9.5 min and 2.3 min, r e s p e c t i v e l y and s m a l l activation s e c t i o n s , viz., 3.4-10 -27, 3 . 0 . 1 0 -26, and
2.1.10 -25 c m z, r e s p e c t i v e l y .
Calculations c a r r i e d out in c o n f o r m i t y with "Health Regulations No. 333-60" showed that the initial
activity Q0 of the m a g n e s i t e for the e x p e r i m e n t m u s t not exceed 2 5 m C i . The activity Q of the m a g n e s i t e
v a r i e d exponentially Q = Q0 e-At during the period (seven days) between i r r a d i a t i o n and c h a r g i n g into the
kiln and was 22.4 mCi.
The calculation* of the activation t i m e of a weighted portion of m a g n e s i t e to produce an activity of
25 mCi was c a r r i e d out f r o m the following equation:

~ract F ,VOmFe --Lt

*Report of the Volgograd Branch of the Specialized Administration of Installation and Alignment in Radia-
tion Engineering, the "MaKnezit" Plant, and the Eastern Institute of Refractories [in Russian] , Volgograd
(!968).
"Magnezit" Plant. Vo!gograd Branch of the Specialized Administration of installation and Alignment
in Radiation Engineering. Eastern Institute of Refractories. Translated from Ogneupory, .No. ll, pp. 18-22,
November, 1974.

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679
 9 X

rE0

J
/oZi~
8O0O 8

700
9~ 8oo 4 80
.~ 500
4oo x 5 7 E
~. ~0o 9~ ~0
200 , \• Z~
" I00
O/ I I /0 ~ 50 7O 9o
f J 4 Kiln length, m

Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Fig. 1. Activity of the i r r a d i a t e d m a t e r i a l r e c o r d e d by d e t e c t o r s
Nos. 1-8 (noted against the c u r v e s ) during the m o v e m e n t of
m a g n e s i t e through a 90 m long r o t a r y kiln and c o o l e r .
Fig. 2. The t r a v e l t i m e of the m a g n e s i t e through the 90 m r o t a r y
kiln: 1)-7) a r e the n u m b e r s of the d e t e c t o r s .

w h e r e Q0 is the activity (25 mCi); m F e is the weight of the isotope c o n c e r n e d (1.74.10 -3 g), ~act is the a c t i -
vation c r o s s section (1.01 9 10 -24 cm2), AFe is the atomic weight of the isotope (59), N o is the Avogadro
n u m b e r (6.0247-1023 m o l e - i ) , X is the decay constant (0.693/T1/2 )(h-l), F is the neutron flow for a given
p o w e r of the a p p a r a t u s , viz. 1.0.1014 n e u t r o n s / ( c m 2. see), t is the activation period, days.
The activation period for isotope F e 5s of a 100 g portion of m a g n e s i t e was found to be 46 days.
To d e t e r m i n e the t r a v e l l i n g t i m e and a v e r a g e speed of the m a g n e s i t e in the individual kiln sections
r a d i a t i o n d e t e c t o r s w e r e set up at seven points along the kiln, one of them (No. 8 in Fig. 1) at the end of
the c o o l e r c y l i n d e r . The p a s s a g e of the tagged portion of m a g n e s i t e along the kiln w a s monitored with a
m e a s u r i n g a r r a n g e m e n t mounted on a Z I L - 1 3 0 truck. The main e l e m e n t of the a p p a r a t u s w a s a 2 6 - c h a n -
nel technological device of the USIT-1-2A type. The g a m m a radiation was m o n i t o r e d with geiger c o u n t e r s .
The r e s u l t s r e c o r d e d for s e v e r a l e x p e r i m e n t s in the f o r m of d i a g r a m s on the s t r i p of s e l f - r e c o r d i n g
i n s t r u m e n t s w e r e in good a g r e e m e n t and w e r e evaluated as follows. F i r s t , the t i m e - d e p e n d e n c e s of the
activity of the m a t e r i a l w e r e r e e o r d e d i n a single r e f e r e n c e f r a m e (Fig. 1) w h e r e the p e a k of each c u r v e
denotes the p a s s a g e of the m a x i m u m quantity of active m a t e r i a l p a s t a given d e t e c t o r at a given instant.
In the c o u r s e of the calcining p r o c e s s the active portion of m a g n e s i t e , like the c h a r g e as a whole,
u n d e r g o e s c o n s i d e r a b l e changes. The shape of the c u r v e s of its p a s s a g e along the kiln is influenced by
the distribution of the isotope through the continuously i n c r e a s i n g bulk of the m a t e r i a l , by the i n t e r m i x i n g
of the m a g n e s i t e in the heat e x c h a n g e r zone, by the distribution of the r a d i o a c t i v e s o u r c e as a r e s u l t of
v a r i o u s f a c t o r s , by the f o r m a t i o n of a coating in the s i n t e r i n g zone, etc., so that the speed of the m a t e r i a l
calculated f r o m the m e a n t r a v e l l i n g t i m e of its active portion and the speed d e t e r m i n e d f r o m the medians
of the intensity c u r v e s r e c o r d e d by the d e t e c t o r s do not a c c u r a t e l y e x p r e s s the r a t e of t r a v e l of the m a t e -
r i a l in the kiln. The ' p e a k ' speed of the l a r g e s t ( a c r o s s the kiln) amount of active m a t e r i a l calculated for
the instants of p e a k counting r a t e s is a m o r e r e l i a b l e indicator [2, 5].
An i m p o r t a n t point to note is that in the method of d e t e r m i n i n g the p a s s a g e t i m e of the tagged m a t e -
r i a l f r o m the p e a k activity the e r r o r s a r i s i n g f r o m the d e c r e a s e in the absolute intensity due to the p a r t i a l
decay of the isotope and f r o m the a b s o r p t i o n by the kiln lining do not affect the r e s u l t s to a significant
extent, i . e . it is m e r e l y the s c a l e of the c u r v e s r e l a t i v e to the v e r t i c a l axis which changes while the shape
of the c u r v e s and the position of the p e a k s r e l a t i v e to the horizontal axis r e m a i n the s a m e provided the
e x p e r i m e n t s a r e conducted under identical conditions.
The t r a v e l r a t e of the m a g n e s i t e in the individual kiln sections depends on the changes in the p r o -
p e r t i e s of the m a g n e s i t e d u r i n g the calcining p r o c e s s . Investigations [6] of the p h y s i c o c h e m i c a l p r o -
c e s s e s developing in the m a g n e s i t e and of the changes in its p r o p e r t i e s have yielded the length of the tech-
nological zones in the kiln, v i z . , h e a t i n g (15 m), d e c a r b o n i z i n g (50 m), s i n t e r i n g (16 m) and cooling (9 m).
The changes in the t r a v e l r a t e of the m a t e r i a l in the individual s e c t i o n s m u s t be c o n s i d e r e d in r e l a t i o n to
the changes in the p r o p e r t i e s of the m a g n e s i t e and to the calcination-induced p h y s i c o - e h e m i c a [ p r o c e s s e s .

680
 TABLE 1. Zonewise P a r a m e t e r s of the T r a v e l of Magnesite in a
90 m Kiln
zone
. decarbonizing sintering cooling
Parameters heating a [ b I c a i b

KiLn section length, m 0--15 16--38 56--65 66--74 2--90

Average travel r:ate of the
magnesite, rn rain 0,57 0,64 2,2 0,99 ] 1,34 0,23
Friability factor 1,3 1,5 0,94 2,2 I 3,1 0,23
0,5 0,5

In the kiln section between the 15th and 38th m e t e r the t r a v e l r a t e of the magnesite v a r i e s only m a r -
ginaHy (,Table 1), the explanation being the r e l a t i v e l y slow r a t e of the d e c a r b o n i z i n g p r o c e s s in which (tak-
ing dust entrainment by the flue g a s e s into account) the space factor of the kiln d e c r e a s e s only slowly and
the t r a v e l r a t e of the maga~esite i n c r e a s e s f r o m 0.57 to only 0.64 m/rain. The decarbonization r a t e de-
t e r m i n e d f r o m the volume of CO 2 eliminated f r o m the magnesite in this kiln section is only 0.7% CO 2 p e r
minute.

In the kiln section between the 38th and 55th m e t e r the mean t r a v e l rate i n c r e a s e s sharply (see Table
1) as a r e s u l t of the v i g o r o u s decomposition reaction of the c a r b o n a t e s which c a u s e s the magnesite l a y e r
to 'bubble. ' In this kiln section the magnesite is hot enough and at a t e m p e r a t u r e above 640~ d e c a r b o n i z a -
lion develops throughout the bulk of the m a t e r i a l together with peak c a r b o n dioxide elimination (2.3,,~ CO 2
per minute). Evidence that decarbonization p r o c e e d s at a peak rate is provided by the fact that the porosity
of the magnesite r e a c h e s 45-%.
The decarbonization of the magnesite lumps is accompanied by v i g o r o u s CO 2 elimination and by a
consequent i n t e r m i x i n g of the magnesite p a r t i c l e s so that the m a t e r i a l b e c o m e s highly mobile. The ' b u b -
bling' effect was observed when e x t r a c t i n g magnesite s a m p l e s in this section of the working kiln with a
special s a m p l e r . The mobility of the m a t e r i a l r e s u l t s in a higher t r a v e l r a t e in this section of the d e c a r -
bonizing zone.

In the next kiln section (meters 55 to 65), which is relatively short c o m p a r e d with the preceding one,
the t r a v e l rate of the magnesite r e m a i n s n e a r l y the same as before. The bulk of the CO 2 has been elimin-
ated and c a r r i e d off with the flue g a s e s but the magnesite lumps have not yet been broken up and the p r o -
portion of fine fractions has i n c r e a s e d only slightly. The m i n o r changes in the phase composition and grain
size distribution of the magnesite in this section do not influence the t r a v e l rate to a sig-nificant extent.
In the section between the 65th and 75 m e t e r the magnesite s i n t e r s b u t the porosity is still fairly high.
The magnesite contains open m i e r o c r a c k s due to shrinkage, the m a t e r i a l is completely decarbonized and
opened, and as a r e s u l t of further attrition contains a large proportion (about 60%) fractions finer than
0.5 mm so that it is highly ' f r i a b l e ' and t h e r e f o r e t r a v e l s f a s t e r in this section of the kiln.
The section between m e t e r s 75 and 90 includes the calcining and cooling zones. The t r a v e l r a t e of
the magnesite between the 75th and 81st m e t e r s fails sharply owing to the change in the ductility of the
m a t e r i a l r e s u l t i n g from the development of a liquid phase and the c o a r s e n i n g of the grains due to s i n t e r -
ing and the agglomeration of the fine p a r t i c l e s into granules. The t r a v e l r a t e of the magnesite is affected,
m o r e o v e r , also by the formation of a coating on the lining of this kiln section.
Towards the end of the kiln the powder being formed does not undergo significant changes and its
r a t e of t r a v e l r e m a i n s constant at 0.23 m / m i n . In the cooler the powder m o v e s at 1.125 m / r a i n .
The r a d i o i s o t o p e - a i d e d experiment thus showed that the t r a v e l rate of the m a t e r i a l in the kiln v a r i e s
with the a s t u t e of the p h y s i c o - c h e m i c a l p r o c e s s e s developing during the calcination of the magnesite.
The t r a v e l time of the magnesite through the 90 m r o t a r y kiln is 166 rain (Fig. 2). The average rate
of t r a v e l is 0.542 m / r a i n .
The generalization of the e x p e r i m e n t a l r e s u l t s yielded the following equation* for d e t e r m i n i n g the
r a t e of t r a v e l of the magnesite in a 90 m r o t a r y kiln:

v = KaDinntg ~,

*K. V. Simono% Technology of Magnesia R e f r a c t o r i e s f r o m the Dolomites and Magnesites of the Sagkin
Deposits for Oxygen C o n v e r t e r s . _Author's A b s t r a c t of T h e s i s [ i n R u s s i a n ] , A t m a - A t a (1970).

68I
w h e r e Din is the inside kiln d i a m e t e r , m; n is the r a t e of rotation of the kiln, r p m ; r is the slope of the
kiln, d e g r e e s ; K is the friability f a c t o r d e t e r m i n e d experimentally with account taken of the physical state
and the friability of the magnesite in its passage through the individual zones of the kiln.
The mean friability f a c t o r is 1.25. The values of K for d e t e r m i n i n g the t r a v e l r a t e of the magnesite
in the individual kiln zones f r o m the equation a r e given in Table 1.

CONCLUSIONS
A radioisotope-assisted investigation of the rate of travel of magnesite in a rotary kiln yielded the
boundaries of the technological zones of the kiln and the passage time of the material through these zones
in the calcination process. The friability and hence the travel rate in the individual kiln sections vary con-
siderably with the physico-chemical properties and grain size distribution of the magnesite.
Experimental data yielded the correction factor of friability which takes into account the changes in
the physical state and friability of the magnesite in the course of calcining and can be used for a suffi-
ciently precise determination of the travel rate and stay time of the magnesite in given kiln sections and
the stay time of the material in the kiln as a whole from the equation v = K~Dinntan r

LITERATURE CITED
1. F. G. Banit, in: " R e s e a r c h in the C h e m i s t r y and Technology of Silicates, " All-Union Scientific R e -
s e a r c h Institute for Cement [in Russian], P r o m s t r o i i z d a t , Moscow (1957), pp. 170-180.
2o E. S. Kichkina, I. G. Abramson, F. I. Bednyakov, et a l . , T s e m e n t , No. 4, 6-8; No. 6, 4-5 (1967).
3. K. Hogreba and W. S. Lehman, Z e m e n t - K a l k - G i p s , No. 5, 210-215 (1955).
4. H. Costa and K. P e t e r m a n , Silikattechnik, No. 4, 209-210; No. 5, 253-259; No. 7, 345-350 (1959).
5. G. S. Valberg, A. Z. Kuleshenko, A. I. Vygodskii, et a l . , T s e m e n t , No. 7, 10-11 (1972).
6. V. A. Perepelitsyn,K.V. Simonov, V. S. Korshunov, et a l . , Ogneupory, No. 9, 51-55 (1968).

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