Utilization of micro fines in iron and steel making process

A huge quantity of iron oxides fines (60 % of ore) are generated in mines area and in different units of steel plants. Coarser sizes of these are used in sinter plant. However in sintering, there is some restriction of using micro fines. It is possible to use in pelletization, but pelletization is a cost intensive process due to its high temperature curing. In present scenario a considerable part of microfines is still unused and termed as solid wastes. Utilization of these fines are very important and becoming mandatory to preserve the natural resources and reducing the disposal cost. This paper mainly focuses on the recent developmental work at CSIR-NML towards the improvement of micro-fines utilization in iron and steel making such as, development of binder less CO2 treated fluxed pellet, development of micropellets, coke breeze free sintering and development of carbon composite micropellets. Binder less CO2treated fluxed pellet may be used as synthetic flux material for better and faster refining of hot metal. Iron oxide micropellets can be used in sintering. High fluxed sinter produced from waste micro fines may be used as flux in refining. Carbon composite micropellet has been developed for improving the utilization of iron oxide and carbon bearing microfines in sinter bed.