THE EFFECT OF CHARCOAL ADDITION ON IRON-ORE SINTERING PERFORMANCE

An investigation was carried out into the use of charcoal as a supplementary fuel in the iron ore sintering process. The charcoal used in this study was added as a replacement for a coke breeze. Total heat output of all tested raw mixtures was calculated as 3,8 wt. % coke breeze. The coke substitution and energy requirement provided by charcoal was in the range of 8 - 86 %. Experimental tests were made by using a laboratory sinter pot with charge capacity of around 70 - 90 kg per run. The main objective of the work reported here was to determine the effects of substituting coke with charcoal in the iron ore sintering process with respect to combustion efficiency and sinter quality. The use of charcoal fuel resulted in a decrease in the sintering time. This decrease in sintering time suggests that perhaps the replacement of coke with charcoal may lead to an increase in sinter productivity. Explain in more detail and interpretation of results is described in the paper.