Agglomeration & Pyrometallurgy Laboratory

By,

Madhav Kamath S
Executive Trainee Agglomeration & Pyrometallurgy Lab

A Brief on Iron ore

Iron Ore: A naturally occurring mineral from which iron (Fe) metal is extracted in various forms Hot metal/ DRI etc.

Types of Ore Two major varieties used for iron making are Haematite Ore( containing Ferric Oxide Fe2O3) and Magnetite Ore (containing Ferro-Ferric Oxide Fe3O4). When chemically pure, Haematite contains apprx 70% and Magnetite 72.4% iron . But usually iron content of ores ranges between 50-65/67% (rich ores) and 30-35% (lean ores). Typically, theIntegrated Steel Plants(ISPs) use medium/High grade Iron Ore whereas the Sponge Iron plants require only High Grade iron ore, preferably, with +67% Fe.

Forms of Iron Ore

(i) Lumpy/Fine Ore Iron Ore is traded in lumps (i.e. sized ore) or in fines.Production/availability of lumps is limited by virtue of the natural occurrence and also because of generation of lot of fines during crushing of large lumps present in the run-ofmines (ROM). (ii) Natural pellet: It is a term coined by producers in some Asian counties, to designate sized iron ore used directly in Sponge Iron production. (iii) Blue Dust: Blue Dust is the name given to naturally occurring, extremely friable, high grade Hematite Iron Ore powder.

What is Agglomeration& Pyrometallurgy???

The process of conversion of fine size particles (iron ore) in to larger, more usable lumpy pieces, with/without use of additives like limestone, dolomite etc.

&
Pyrometallurgy is a process of extraction of metal from its ore at high temperatures(eg-BF route for producing iron).

Agglomeration

Fines

Sinter

Slimes

Pellets

Pyrometallurgy
Blast Furnace Sinter/Pellets/Ironore

Agglomeration & Pyrometallurgy Laboratory

The Agglomeration and Pyrometallurgy Laboratory is designed to undertake evaluation of iron ores, sinters and pellets, limestone, dolomite, manganese ore and magnesite with respect to their physical and metallurgical properties in order to find suitability of different ores for use in various iron making processes.

Also it undertakes optimizing the parameters for making agglomerates i.e., sinters and pellets for use in various iron making processes.

The laboratory also has facilities for optimizing the parameters for preparation of sponge iron from high grade iron ore fines.

Departmental Objectives

1)To provide services in the field of Agglomeration & process metallurgy with high degree of reliability.

2) To extend expertise to in-house plants of NMDC and other customers in the fields of physical and metallurgical testing of ores, sinters and pellets.

Facilities
The present available facilities are: 1)Laboratory Pot Grate Unit A] Induration Unit The unit is designed to establish the inputs and operating parameters for firing of Green pellets. The test data generated are useful in design of pellets plant.

Specifications
Pot Diameter
Bed Height

Details
300 mm
400 mm

B] Sintering Unit

Specifications
Pot Size Bed Height

Details
400 mm X400 mm 300 mm

Application Utilized for sintering of iron ore and manganese ore fines. 2)Laboratory Disc Pelletizer The unit is designed to establish the inputs and operating parameters for pelletizing of different raw materials. The data obtained are useful in designing of Pelletization plant. Specifications
Disc diameter
Disc angle Pan rotation

Details
1000mm
Adjustable Variable [6 to 25 rpm]

Application Utilized for pelletizing of iron ore, limestone, dolomite and rock phosphate fines. 3)Reducibility Test Apparatus It is an electrically heated furnace consisting of a vertical double walled steel reduction tube containing a static bed to place the test sample, suspended on a balance, heated in normal or reducing atmosphere. Application Utilized for determination and reduction degradation indices, relative reducibility and swelling properties of iron ore lumps, sinter and pellets.

Reducibility Test Apparatus

4)Linder Test Apparatus The equipment consists of an electric furnace in which a rotating reduction barrel with the test sample is placed horizontally. The equipment is designed to determine the disintegration of lump ores and agglomerates under mildly reducing conditions similar to those prevailing in the upper part of the blast furnace. Application Used for determination of low and high temperature breakdown characteristics of lump ores, sinters and pellets, and to study the metallization, characteristics of iron ore lumps and pellets.

Linder Test Apparatus

5) Electrically heated bogey Furnace The equipment is an electrically heated bogey hearth furnace designed for calcination of refractory materials.

Specifications Chamber Size

Details 1300 x 600 x 800 mm 1300C max.300 Kg

Temperature Capacity

1300 C max. 300

Kg
300 Kg

Application Used for the calcination [under oxidizing condition or slightly reducing condition] and study the calcination behaviour of refractory materials.

6)Tumbler Drum The equipment is a drum designed as per ISO, to study the behaviour of the burden material under mechanical load especially during transport.

Application Used to determine the tumbler and abrasion indices of iron ore, pellets, sinters, manganese ore, limestone, dolomite, magnesite etc.

7) Shatter Test Apparatus The equipment is designed to measure the resistance to shattering shown by the iron ore lumps, sinters and pellets during free fall. Application To determine shatter index of ores.

8) High Temperature Furnace To study the behaviour of refractory material at high temperature.
Specifications Chamber Size Temperature Details 150 x 200 x 300 mm 1700C max.

Application
To study the calcination and sintering properties of refractory materials

9) Crushing Strength Measuring Equipment

Specifications Capacity

Details 0 to10 KN

Capabilities

Tension,compre ssion testing.

Application To measure the crushing strenght of iron ore pellets,CLO etc. Apart from the above, other existing facilities are Cone Blender Hammer Mill Ball Mill Digital Universal Testing Machine Drum Pelletizer/Mixer Muffle Furnace Blaine number Measuring Equipment

Process Flow Chart

Iron ore Lump

Size Analysis

(+40,30,25,20,12.5,10,6.3mm)
+40mm crushed to -40mm

Sample Preparation

Chemical Analysis

Physical Testing

Metallurgical Testing

Testing and Evaluation

Sample

Chemical Analysis
(FeO,Fe,SiO2,Al2O3,LOI,S,P)

Physical Testing

Metallurgical Testing

Shatter Index

Tumbler Index

TDI

RDI

RR

A little more Insight!

Size Analysis The sample we receive are basically Iron ore lump(CLO), Slimes and Fines. After proper drying and spreading ,we carry out size analysis. In case of CLO , Mixing of the sample uniformly . Screening through meshes of sizes 30,25,20,12.5,10,6.3mm. Sample Preparation Now from the above fractions, sample is prepared for chemical,physical and metallurgical testing .Mixing, Coning and quartering is done to get desired wieght . a) For TDI We need sample in the size range -12.5+10mm. b) For RDI &RR We need sample in the size range 19.5+16mm. c) For Chemical Analysis We need sample of -100#

Shatter Index Sample of 20Kg[-40+10mm] is prepared using weight fraction calculations from 30,25,20,12.5,10mm.Now the sample is dropped from a height of 2 mt (4 drops) and then size analysis is carried out using +10,+4.5,-4.5mm and SI is found out. eg-95% Tumbler Index Sample of 15Kg[-40+10mm] is prepared using weight fraction calculations from 30,25,20,12.5,10mm.Now the sample is subjected to tumbling by giving 200 rev.The sample is then analyzed using +6.3,+1,+0.5,-0.5mm and TI is found out .eg-94%, AI-3.5%. TDI Here 500gm of the sample is kept in the furnace at 6000C for 30 minutes in an oxidizing atmosphere .The sample is taken out and given 900 rev in micro drum and size analysis is carried out using +6.3,+5,+3,+1,+0.5,-0.5mm and TDI is found .eg-6.2%

RDI Here 500gm of the sample is kept in the furnace of Reducibility Test Apparatus at 550 0C for 30 minutes in an reducing atmosphere .The sample is taken out and given 900 rev and size analysis is carried out using [+]6.3mm, [+] 4# ,[+] 5# ,[+] 6# ,[+] 10# ,[+] 14# ,[+] 18# ,[+] 30# ,[-] 30# and RDI is found out.eg-10.7% Importance- RDI test gives an idea as to how much fines are formed and the physical strenght of the ore. RR Here 500gm of the sample is kept in the furnace of Reducibility Test Apparatus at 900 0C for 3hrs in an reducing atmosphere .The weight loss is noted down at definite intervals The sample is taken out & final weight is noted .Then RR is found using suitable formula.eg-50.6%.

Importance RR test gives an idea how much of the sample gets reduced in given conditions.

Stack Region

Sintering & Pelletization

What is Pelletization???
Pelletization turns very fine grained iron ore in to balls of certain diameter,also known as pellets,which are suitable for blast furnace and direct reduction. Why Pelletize? In the face of shrinking world reserves of high-grade ores, ores must now be concentrated before further processing. Pellets form one of the best options, thanks to their excellent physical and metallurgical properties. Moreover, due to their high strength and suitability for storage, pellets can be easily transported over long distances. Pellets benefits: Standardization uniform size range, generally within a range of 916 mm Purity 6368 % iron, mainly Fe2O3 Cost-effectiveness virtually no loss on ignition while a high and uniform porosity of 2530 % allows fast reduction and high metallization rates Strength high and uniform mechanical strength even under thermal stress in reducing atmospheres Transportable low degradation under abrasive influences

Sintering
It is a agglomeration process wherein a clinker like aggregate is formed from a relatively coarser iron ore fine(-6.3mm),mixed with coke breeze, limestone dolomite fines. Iron ore sintering consists of heating a layer of fines until partial melting occurs and individual ore particles fuse together. Why Sinter? Sintering is the agglomeration of fine-grained iron ores for blast furnace burden preparation. Manganese ores can also be sintered before smelting in the electric arc furnace. Sintering produces a feed of consistent quality in terms of its: Chemical composition Grain size distribution Reducibility Sinter strength

Sinter Sinter is one of the input/raw material in blast furnaces. It improves BF operation and productivity and reduces coke consumption in blast furnace. Presently, more than 70% hot metal in the world (in India 50%) is produced through the sinter.

Pellets Pellets are normally produced in the form of Globules from very fine iron ore (normally -100 mesh) and mostly used for production of Sponge Iron in gas based plants, and they are also used in blast furnaces in place of sized iron ore.

References
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Information folder (for equipment specifications). http://minmetandeqip.blogspot.com/2008/03/iron-ore-its-beneficiation-and.html http://www.steelworld.com/technology7.pdf books.google.com www.outokumputechnology.com

Thank You