An assessment of the production of fine material in iron ore sinter

Iron ore sinter is produced from fine grained ore in order to provide a direct charge to the blast furnace. During the sinter production process, fine sinter is produced that is not acceptable as feedstock for the blast furnace. The aim of this study is to compare the composition and phase chemistry of the fine and normal sinter to determine if chemical or operational changes can be made to reduce the amount of fine sinter formed. This will be achieved through the analysis of real industrial sinter samples and sinter test pot samples. It has been concluded that the production of fine sinter is a direct function of the amount of haematite present in the sinter. Suggestions to decrease the amount of fine sinter formed include: uniform heat distribution during ignition, pO(2) alteration by reductant addition, lower ignition temperature, regulating the cooling regime and decreasing the grain size of lime.