FINMET

A LV IZO B O RLING D EC IN EL LAGA ESTO LA NO

 The Fluidised Iron Ore Reduction(FIOR) process
reduces iron ore to metallic iron at high
FINMET temperature and pressure using reducing gases
PROCESS produced from reforming.
improved jointly by Fior de Venezuela and Voest
Alpine (VAI) of Austria in 1991 culminating in the
development of Finmet Process
The primary aim is to improve the energy
efficiency of FIOR by using top gas for ore heating
and by removing CO from reformed gas as well as
recycle gas..
The Finmet process is a multiple fluidized bed
process which utilizes a H2 rich reducing gas
produced by steam reforming. 2
 Iron fines under
12 mm

INPUTS AND
OUTPUTS
FINMET
Hot Briquetted
Iron (HBI)
PROCESS

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HOT BRIQUETTED IRON (HBI)
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HBI HBI overcome the problems associated with
shipping and handling of DRI

Very much less porous

Very much less reactive
Does not suffer from the risk of self-heating

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FURNACES AND
EQUIPMENT UTILIZE
FINMET
PROCESS
FLOWSHEET
 double-roll
briquetting
lock-hopper press
system

Reducing
Reactors
equipped with
internal cyclones

HBI
 Recycling Gas
Scrubber

Reducing Gas
Furnace

Natural
Air
Gas
 Recycle Gas
Compressor

CO2
removal
Air system
Natural
Gas

Steam
Retonner
FINMET
Process

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12
FINMET Process

- concentrate/iron ore fines are fed into an

ore drier
- the feed is lifted to the top of the FINMET
reactor structure and is charged to the
reactor train
- upper lockhoppers cycle continuously from
ambient to reactor pressure
- the ore is fed continuously to the reactors
out of the lower lockhopper 13
FINMET Process

- uses a train of four fluid bed reactors, with

counter-current gas/solids contacting down
the reactor train

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 feed concentrate enters the
topmost reactor ( preheated to 550-
570C by reducing gas)

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The beneficiated ore is
transferred downward
between reactors via
standpipes and is
progressively reduced, first
to FeO, and then finally to
metallic Fe.

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The temperature in the bottom
reactor (R1) is in the range of 780-
800C and final reduction to 93%
metallisation is accompanied by
carburization of some of the Fe to
Fe3C (iron carbide).

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 The hot, fine DRI is then
transported by a sealed,
pneumatic lift system, or riser, to
the briquetter area where it is
briquetted at temperatures
greater than 650C in double roll
briquetting machines to a density
of approximately 5 tonne/m3.

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FINMET Process: Gas Flow Recycled
Top Gas

Fresh
Reformer
Makeup Gas

REDUCTION
RECYCLED GAS
MAKEUP GAS

Recycled gas
ADVANTAGES AND
LIMITATONS
 Low production costs with the
use of low-cost iron ore fines

ADVANTAGES Investment and energy

consumption comparable with
conventional DR processes

Superior HBI quality featuring

high Fe content and high
degree of metallization
 Briquettes produced as
intact single briquettes
without breakage
ADVANTAGES
Low abrasion losses during
handling and transport due
to the highly compact
nature of FINMET briquettes

Industrially proven
 Higher degree of metallization

DISADVANTAGES This process were difficulties in

achieving high degrees of reduction
due to temperature control

Briquetting of the product