Effect of Pyroxenite and Olivine Minerals As Source of Mgo in Hematite Pellet On Improvement of Metallurgical Properties
Effect of Pyroxenite and Olivine Minerals As Source of Mgo in Hematite Pellet On Improvement of Metallurgical Properties
Effect of Pyroxenite and Olivine Minerals As Source of Mgo in Hematite Pellet On Improvement of Metallurgical Properties
Jagannath Pal1, Satadal Ghorai1, Bikash Nandi2, Tapas Chakraborty2, Goutam Das1, T. Venugopalan2
1. CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur-831007, India;
2. Tata Steel, Jamshedpur-831001, India
© Central South University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Abstract: Pelletization of hematite ore requires high fineness and very high induration temperature (~1325 °C) owing to its poor
diffusion bonding unlike magnetite ore. Further, high-alumina hematite pellets show very high reduction degradation index (RDI)
during low temperature (500−650 °C) reduction due to their volume expansion and lattice distortion. Noamundi (India) hematite ore
contains very high Al2O3 (2.3%) with adverse ratio of alumina to silica (~2) for which, it shows very high RDI. In this work, the acid
pellets prepared from Noamundi ore fines of optimum Blaine fineness show good cold crushing strength (CCS). However, it shows
very high RDI (77%). In order to reduce RDI, MgO in form of two different gangue-containing fluxes, such as pyroxenite and olivine
in varying quantities has been added. The optimum requirement and performance of these fluxes has been examined and compared.
Both pyroxenite and olivine fluxed pellets show significant lowering of RDI (26% and 23%, respectively) and improvement of other
properties, viz CCS, swelling indices etc with good reducibility (70%−77%). Finally, a good quality acidic hematite pellet was
developed from high-alumina ore without using any lime which is very important charge material in combination of basic sinter in
blast furnace.
Key words: hematite pellet; high-alumina ore; reduction degradation index (RDI); pyroxenite flux; olivine flux; effect of MgO
Table 3 Size fraction and Blaine fineness of iron ore used after grinding
Blaine Size fraction (BS mesh)/%
Fines Group Code
fineness/(cm2·g−1) <72 72−100 100−150 150−200 200−240 240−350 >350
C 2041 17.8 11.1 6.2 5.2 3.1 4.4 52.1
D 2145 10.8 10 7 6.5 5.4 4.1 55.8
E 2392 9.9 10.7 6.2 5.7 2.3 3.1 62
F 3456 6 3.2 3.1 1.7 2.4 3.4 80
for 4 h. The moisture content of pellet was measured phases and pores had been measured by the image
from the mass loss of the representative green pellet analysis software.
sample (20−25 g) due to heating in an oven at 110 °C for
4 h until constant mass was observed. Dry compressive 3 Results and discussion
strengths (DCS) of oven dried pellets were also
measured in Hounsfield material testing machine. 3.1 Acid pellet without MgO flux
The pellets were indurated (in varying capacity of Properties of green pallets made with varying
0.1 kg to 1.8 kg per batch) in an electrically heated fineness are shown in Table 7. All pellets show the green
chamber furnace (Mo−Si2 heating element) of hot zone and dry pellets properties within the industrially
400 mm×300 mm×300 mm in varying temperature and acceptable range (acceptable; GCS: 22 N/pellet DCS: 1.0
induration time using Inconel/mullite crucible. kg/pellet, GDSN: 5 Nos, respectively) [11]. The CCS of
Cold crushing strength (CCS) of indurated pellets the same pellets indurated at 1325 °C is shown in Fig. 1.
was measured using Honsfield’s materials testing The figure depicts that CCS increases with increase in
machine (Model: H 10K-S) as per standard: IS: Blaine fineness. This is because the smaller hematite
8625−1986. Both apparent porosity (standard IS: 1528, particles (<15 μm) tend to disappear on firing at high
part-VIII-1974) and bulk density (standard IS: 1528, temperature and recrystallize into larger hematite
part-XII-1974) of indurated pellets were measured in granules, which act as bridges, bonding together particles
kerosene medium. of neighbouring larger size and impart strength to the
Reducibility index (RI) of pellets was measured as pellets [12]. Thus, the increase in small size particles in
per standard: JIS: M 8713−2000. For measuring the pellet feed material led to an increase in bridge
swelling index (SI) the pellets were reduced as per formation and resulted in better CCS. The pellets with
standard: JIS: M 8713−2000. After 3 h of reduction in high Blaine fineness therefore show higher CCS. Further,
gas of 30% CO and 70% N2 at 900 °C, volume change of the effect of Blaine fineness on CCS is high in lower
pellet was measured by mercury displacement method. Blaine region (Fig. 1), indicating that amount of bridge
RDI of several indurated pellets was measured as per formation by disappearance of small size particles and
standard: JIS: M 8720−2001. recrystallization of larger granules at firing temperature
In order to study the existence of several phases, increases significantly with increasing Blaine fineness in
X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of selected indurated the lower range of Blaine fineness below 2145 cm2/g and
pellets after making powders of it (≤0.15 mm) were after that it does not increase significantly. At this point,
carried out for phase analysis by a Siemens D500 X-ray the CCS could be achieved up to 240 kg/pellet, which
diffractometer using Cu-Kα radiation. The scanning appears to be a good strength and would be acceptable
speed was maintained at 2, 1 (°)/min. Existence of for blast furnace operation. Therefore, the physico-
several phases was identified by JCPDS files. Selected chemical properties of the pellet made with the iron ore
samples were polished and observed under the optical of Blaine fineness 2145 cm2/g are examined and listed in
microscope (Make: Leica). The area fractions of several Table 8.
J. Cent. South Univ. (2015) 22: 3302−3310 3305
Table 7 Properties of green pellets without MgO flux with varying fineness
Pellet Group Code Blaine No. w(Bentonite)/% w(Moisture)/% GCS/(kg·pellet−1) GDSN DCS/(kg·pellet−1)
C 2041 0.5 9.0 1.10 11 3.2
D 2145 0.5 9.1 1.25 12 3.5
E 2392 0.5 8.8 1.21 10 3.4
F 3456 0.5 8.8 1.28 11 2.8