Satadal Ghorai

Effect of Blaine Fineness on the Quality of Hematite Iron Ore Pellets for Blast Furnace

Iron ore pellets are largely characterized by inherent physical and chemical properties of ore as well as pelletizing conditions including induration time, induration temperature, etc. These parameters essentially vary with types of ores. The production of high-quality pellets from hematite ore is challenging because of high level of fineness (Blaine number) and induration temperature requirement, ensuring severe degradation property during reduction, etc. In this work, the effect of Blaine number (Blaine fineness: expressed as the specific surface area of fines) on the pellets’ properties was studied. The paper presents the effect of Blaine number on green and dry strength, cold crushing strength, reducibility index, reduction degradation index, swelling index, apparent porosity, optical micro structure, etc. of the high alumina hematite ore pellets. The results showed improved properties of iron ore pellets at an optimum Blaine number (2150 cm2/g) but, reduction degradation index was found to be very poor for the given ore. Further investigation showed that when MgO containing flux viz. pyroxenite was added, the reduction degradation index and swelling index of the pellets were improved for identical Blaine number and other optimized process parameters.

Development of fluxed micropellets for sintering utilising iron oxide waste fines

Abstract Ultrafine iron oxide wastes such as slime, blue dust and Linz–Donawitz (LD) converter sludge have very limited use in sintering of iron ore due to their excessive fineness (−50 μm). Pelletisation of these ultrafine materials for use in blast furnace involves high temperature curing, which is a highly energy intensive process. Briquetting of LD sludge requires costly binders and contains high moisture, which creates problem at high temperature of the downstream process. In order to alleviate these problems, the current study has developed a process for preparing micropellets of waste iron oxide fines (2–6 mm size) without using any binder. The strength of the micropellet has been increased by a novel CO2 treatment process at room temperature. Developed micropellets exhibit very suitable drop strength (125 Nos), tumbler properties and cold compressive strength (∼9 kg/pellet) to withstand cold handling. Low lime containing micropellets have the possibility of being used as a mixed material in usual sinter making, and high lime containing micropellets may be exploited for making super fluxed sinter that can be used as synthetic flux in the basic oxygen furnace process towards the formation of low melting oxidising slag at the early stage of blow.

Behavior of fluxed lime iron oxide pellets in hot metal bath during melting and refining

Lump lime as a flux material in a basic oxygen furnace (BOF) often creates problems in operation due to its high melting point, poor dissolution property, hygroscopic nature, and fines generation tendency. To alleviate these problems, fluxed lime iron oxide pellets (FLIP) containing 30% CaO were developed in this study using waste iron oxide fines and lime. The suitable handling strengths of the pellet (crushing strength: 300 N; drop strength: 130 times) of FLIP were developed by treating with CO2 or industrial waste gas at room temperature, while no separate binders were used. When the pellet was added into hot metal bath (carbon-containing molten iron), it was decomposed, melted, and transformed to produce low melting oxidizing slag, because it is a combination of main CaO and Fe2O3. This slag is suitable for facilitating P and C removal in refining. Furthermore, the pellet enhances waste utilization and use of CO2 in waste gas. In this article, emphasis is given on studying the behavior of these pellets in hot metal bath during melting and refining along with thermodynamics and kinetics analysis. The observed behaviors of the pellet in hot metal bath confirm that it is suitable and beneficial for use in BOF and replaces lump lime.

Development of carbon composite iron ore micropellets by using the microfines of iron ore and carbon-bearing materials in iron making

Iron ore microfines and concentrate have very limited uses in sintering processes. They are used in pelletization; however, this process is cost intensive. Furthermore, the microfines of non-coking coal and other carbon-bearing materials, e.g., blast-furnace flue dust (BFD) and coke fines, are not used extensively in the metallurgical industry because of operational difficulties and handling problems. In the present work, to utilize these microfines, coal composite iron oxide micropellets (2–6 mm in size) were produced through an innovative technique in which lime and molasses were used as binding materials in the micropellets. The micropellets were subsequently treated with CO2 or the industrial waste gas to induce the chemical bond formation. The results show that, at a very high carbon level of 22wt% (38wt% coal), the cold crushing strength and abrasion index of the micropellets are 2.5–3 kg/cm2 and 5wt%–9wt%, respectively; these values indicate that the pellets are suitable for cold handling. The developed micropellets have strong potential as a heat source in smelting reduction in iron making and sintering to reduce coke breeze. The micropellets produced with BFD and coke fines (8wt%–12wt%) were used in iron ore sintering and were observed to reduce the coke breeze consumption by 3%–4%. The quality of the produced sinter was at par with that of the conventional blast-furnace sinter.

Dissolution Characteristics of CO2-Treated Fluxed Pellets in Hot Metal Bath

Lump lime and iron ore are generally used in the basic oxygen furnace as flux and cooling material, respectively. Owing to high melting point, poor dissolution property, fines generation tendency, and hygroscopic nature of lump lime, delay in process and operational complexities are generally encountered. On the other hand, iron ore charging creates slag foaming. In order to alleviate the above problems and to utilize waste materials, fluxed lime–iron oxide pellets (FLIP) containing waste iron oxides and lime fines (10%–40%) were prepared and subsequently strengthened with CO2 gas treatment. FLIP may have the potential to partially replace scrap and lump lime in the conventional basic oxygen furnace charge. In order to assess the applicability of FLIP in steelmaking, the dissolution characteristics of these pellets were studied in a high-temperature pot furnace equipped with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera under varying experimental conditions. It was found that the dissolution time decreased with increasing hot metal temperature, increasing specific surface area of the pellet, and decreasing lime content of the pellet. The melting of the pellet in the absence of hot metal took much higher time than its presence.

Performance Assessment of Partially Pre-fused Synthetic Flux in Basic Oxygen Steel Making

Lump lime as the most common flux and iron ore as a coolant are used in basic oxygen steel making. However, high melting point, poor dissolution property, fines generation tendency and hygroscopic nature of lump lime often create problems in operation. As the combination of both iron oxide (Fe2O3) and CaO shows eutectic at 1230 °C, a combined mass of iron oxide and lime melts at lower temperature and dissolves faster in a molten bath. A partially pre-fused synthetic flux (PSF) was prepared through an innovative way in combination of iron oxide fines viz. Linz Donawitz converter sludge and blast furnace flue dust and lime fines by micro-pelletization of the mix followed by coke breeze free sintering. The developed PSF shows good cold handling strength, low melting point (1 180 ºC), good thermal shock resistance, etc. As a low melting synthetic flux, its performance was assessed through dissolution/melting study in hot metal bath and refining of hot metal in a simulated bottom blown converter using (i) PSF, (ii) only lump lime and (iii) lump lime with iron ore when keeping other conditions identical. Very fast dissolution (27–80 s for 1–3 g lumps), enhanced removal of C and P (11–12 min), controlled slag foaming, and reduced oxygen consumption was obtained for using PSF.

Development of blast furnace quality pellet optimising blue dust, hard ore and friable ore ratio

Three types of ore fines such as hard ore (HO), blue dust (BD) and friable ore (FO), normally available from a mine show different physical and physicochemical properties. Each of the properties of any individual ore among three may not be suitable to use independently in pelletisation. However, uses of all these three are mandatory. Ores of some poor properties may show other properties excellent. Therefore, any specific poor property of any individual ore can be modified by adding (mixing) other ore which shows that particular property excellent. In order to utilise those three ore fines in pelletisation, mixing of above three ores have been done to get good pellet properties. In industry, the fluctuation in mixing ratio often creates problem in maintaining pellet quality and consistency in spite of maintaining identical basicity and MgO content. Therefore, the required mixing ratio and pellet chemistry has also been optimised in this study. BD, FO and HO has been found to be suitable in the mixing ratio of 70:25:5 with 1.4% MgO. However, with increase in FO beyond 50%, reduction degradation index (RDI) becomes very high (25%). RDI has been decreased to very low level by increasing MgO content from 1.4 to 2% which enables to use FO up to 70% for good quality pellet preparation.

Effect of high Blaine iron ore fines in hematite ore pelletization for blast furnace

ABSTRACT Blaine fineness is one of the most important parameters in pelletising. While the lower Blaine fineness does not provide sufficient strength to the both green pellet and indurated pellet, excessively high Blaine fineness causes problem in pellet making. Optimum Blaine fineness of iron ore in the range of 1700–2250 cm2/g is usually used for good quality pellet making. However, when a material of high Blaine fineness is produced after beneficiation and there is no option to control the fineness, the pellet making from high Blaine fineness ore becomes obligatory. In this work, the effect of high Blaine fineness (2700–3250 cm2/g) on the pellets properties has been studied and the optimum parameters to make it usable for blast furnace have been examined. 0.3 wt% bentonite and maximum 7 wt% initial moisture in the green mix with 45–50° disc angles have been found to be suitable for green pellet making with 2700 and 2986 cm2/g Blaine fineness. These pellets show very good CCS (260–290 kg/pellet), reducibility index (71–75%), reduction degradation index (12–13%) and swelling index(12–16%) at the optimum induration temperature of 1280°C for 10 min. However, very high Blaine fineness (say 3250 cm2/g) requires relatively lower initial moisture (5%), higher disc angle and lower induration temperature (1250°C).