On the strength and reduction characteristics of fluxed composite iron ore pellets

Abstract

Fluxed composite iron ore pellets are prepared from the mixture of iron ore fines (blue dust), lime powder and non-coking coal fines taken in various ratios by their mass content. These pellets are oven dried at 393K and then pre-reduced in reducing atmosphere at temperatures ranging between 1173 and 1373K. The physical characteristics such as green strength of the pellets in terms of drop impact strength and the reduction behaviour of the pellets of suitable temperatures are found to be quite satisfactory inspite of the presence of stoichiometric proportion of non-coking coal fines within the pellets. Reduction characteristics of the pellets are explained through SEM micrographs. The pellets show the tendency to fuse partially at the reduction temperatures. The improved physico-chemical characteristics like the improvement in the strength after reduction and the better reduction properties might be making the pre-reduced pellets suitable for their further utilization in smelting reduction processes.