1

EVALUATION OF IRON ORE

SINTERS AND PELLETS FOR
BF AND DR USE

Presented by: MS Mashao

Kumba Iron Ore

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 OVERVIEW

• List of most popular tests performed:

– Tumble Strength (ISO 3271)
– Crushing Strength (ISO 4700)
– Swelling Index (ISO 4698)
– Size range
– Reducibility (ISO 4695)
– Relative Reducibility (ISO 7215)
– Reduction Disintegration (ISO 4695)
– Reduction Disintegration and metallization
for DR feedstock (ISO 11257)

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 OVERVIEW

• List of most popular tests performed:

– Corex tests
– REAS (Reduktion Erweichung und
Abschmelzung)
– Drop tests

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

• Important properties
– Size distribution
– Strength
– Degradation

A member of the Anglo American plc group

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Transport

Screening

Blast
Furnace
Top

Shaft
500 °C

Middle Shaft
950 °C

Bosh
1100 °C

Bosh
+1300 °C

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

• Tumble Strength
– Percentage of + 6.3mm fraction gives TI
– Percentage of – 0.5mm fraction in gives AI
– Criterion of acceptance:
 70% for TI
 Less than 5% for AI

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

• Compression Strength
– Criterion of acceptance:
 250 kg/pellet

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

• Characterize material susceptibility to:

– Breakage
– Degradation

A member of the Anglo American plc group

METALLURGICAL PROPERTIES

• Important properties
– Reduction Disintegration
– Reducibility
– Swelling
– Sticking
– Softening and melting

A member of the Anglo American plc group

METALLURGICAL PROPERTIES

10

Transport

Screening

Blast
Furnace
Top

Shaft RDI
500 °C

Middle Shaft
950 °C RI &RR

Bosh
1100 °C REAS & RUL

Bosh
+1300 °C REAS

A member of the Anglo American plc group

REDUCTION DISINTEGRATION

11

• RDI for blast furnace

• RDI for Midrex
• RDI for Corex

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 REDUCTION DISINTEGRATION

12

Blast Direct Reduction

Furnace

% - 3.15 mm < 40

% - 0.5 mm <5

Acceptable Preferred

% -3.36 5 Max. 2

% Metallization 91 Min 93

A member of the Anglo American plc group

REDUCTION DISINTEGRATION

13

– Decrease in burden permeability

– Poor gas distribution
– Scaffolding
– Increases fuel consumption
– Lower productivity
– Increased dust load in off gas
– Material more susceptible between (400-
600)°C

A member of the Anglo American plc group

REDUCIBILITY

14

Transport

Screening

Blast
Furnace
Top

Shaft
500 °C

Middle Shaft
950 °C RI & RR

Bosh
1100 °C

Bosh
+1300 °C

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 REDUCIBILITY

15

• Reducibility Index
• Relative Reducibility

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 REDUCIBILITY

16

• Reducibility for sinters generally higher

– Typical values for sinters (1.1 -1.4)%/min
– Typical values for pellets (0.8 -1.4)%/min
• Final degree of reduction:
– Typical value for sinters (60-70)%
– Typical value for pellets (50-60)%

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 REDUCIBILITY

17

• Productivity requires reducible

feedstock
• Reducibility depends on:
– Porosity
– Surface area
– Gas-solid contact

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 FREE SWELLING INDEX

18

• General criterion for acceptance:

– Swelling not be higher than (25-30)%
– Noted that alkalis promote excessive
swelling

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 FREE SWELLING INDEX

19

• Increase in volume which in turn

decreases voids in charge
– Impedes gas flow
– Pressure drop

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 STICKING INDEX

20

• Impact on maximum bustle gas

temperature
• Bustle temperature determines
overall productivity

A member of the Anglo American plc group

METALLURGICAL PROPERTIES

21

Transport

Screening

Blast
Furnace
Top

Shaft
500 °C

Middle Shaft
950 °C

REAS
Bosh
1100 °C

Bosh
+1300 °C
REAS

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 REAS

22

• Ideal BF conditions
• Temperature profile increases from
ambient to 1600°C in 8hrs
• Sample subjected to a fixed load

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 REAS

23

– Softening temperature
– Melting temperature
– Dripping temperature
– Differential pressure (dP)
– Degree of reduction at time and
temperature
– Compaction at time and temperature
– Mass of dripping melt at time

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 REAS

24

REAS TEST RESULTS F2040326 RMT2231B

1800 120

1600
Temperature (°C); dP (mmH2); Drip

100

Compaction (%); Reduction (%)

1400
mass (g); C-start (g/min)

1200 80

1000
60
800

600 40

400
20
200

0 0
1 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475

Time (min)

F-Temp S-Temp dP Mass C-start Compaction Total reduction

A member of the Anglo American plc group

 REAS

25

• General criterion for acceptance:

– Cohesive zone should be small but at high
temperatures
– Relative drip mass at least 70 per cent
– Shape of dP curve
• Width
• Height
• Position of peak(s)

A member of the Anglo American plc group

PELLET vs. SISHEN 20mm

Pellet 20 mm ore 26

Size Range
9 x 16 mm 85 % - Min 83.5 %
95% – Pref.
Fines 5 % Max 3.9 %
< 3% Pref.
Tumble Strength
% + 6.3 mm 92 % 88
% - 0.5 mm 6 4.4
Hot Load
% Metallization 98 98
% Clustering 0 0
Linder
% Metallization 91 95
% < 3.36 5 2.4 (10)
Price $/tonne 240 205

A member of the Anglo American plc group