Hydrated aluminum powder for direct alloying of steel and alloys - challenges of the future

The presented study considers and substantiates the possibility of increasing the efficiency of the technology of out-of-furnace, direct alloying of steel and alloys, through the combined use of hydrogen - and aluminothermic methods of reducing target metals from metal-oxide ore or technogenic powdered materials. To achieve this goal, it is proposed to use hydrogenated aluminum powder (1-5% AlH3), obtained as a result of hydro-vacuum dispersion of molten secondary aluminum, as a reducing agent. The morphology of the obtained powder particles containing different allotropic modifications of aluminum hydride is shown. Chemical features and advantages of the proposed process are discussed. The practical value and perspectivity of the development of this approach are argued.