Ore-blending optimization model for sintering process based on characteristics of iron ores

An ore-blending optimization model for the sintering process is an intelligent system that includes iron ore characteristics, expert knowledge and material balance. In the present work, 14 indices are proposed to represent chemical composition, granulating properties and high temperature properties of iron ores. After the relationships between iron ore characteristics and sintering performance are established, the ＂two-step＂ method and the simplex method are introduced to build the model by distinguishing the calculation of optimized blending proportion of iron ores from that of other sintering materials in order to improve calculation efficiency. The ore-blending optimization model, programmed by Access and Visual Basic, is applied to practical production in steel mills and the results prove that the present model can take advantage of the available iron ore resource with stable sinter yield and quality performance but at a lower cost.

Effects of particle characteristics on the granulation ability of iron ores during the sintering process

The granulation behavior of iron ores is essential for subsequent parameter optimization and efficient granulation, especially under changing material conditions. In this study, the effects of surface properties and particle size were analyzed using a laboratory granulation method; an estimation of the granulation of sintering blends was subsequently conducted for the base ores. Circularity and porosity were observed to negatively affect the granulation of iron ores, whereas wettability positively affected the granulation and was the most influential factor, indicating that wetting of iron ores is desirable during granulation. When iron ores with complex size distributions were granulated, the equivalent surface area was the main influencing factor for coarse particles larger than 1 mm and the ratio of adhering fines to intermediates was the main factor for fine particles smaller than 1 mm. By combining the granulation of coarse and fine particles with their proportioning, we proposed a calculation method for estimating the granulation ability of sintering blends. Good verification was demonstrated with the designed schemes. The results suggest that the developed method is effective for predicting the granulation of iron ore mixtures.

Influence of gangue existing states in iron ores on the formation and flow of liquid phase during sintering

Gangue existing states largely affect the high-temperature characteristics of iron ores. Using a micro-sintering method and scan- ning electron microscopy, the effects of gangue content, gangue type, and gangue size on the assimilation characteristics and fluidity of liquid phase of five different iron ores were analyzed in this study. Next, the mechanism based on the reaction between gangues and sintering mate- dais was unraveled. The results show that, as the SiO2 levels increase in the iron ores, the lowest assimilation temperature （LAT） decreases, whereas the index of fluidity of liquid phase （IFL） increases. Below 1.5wt%, Al2O3 benefits the assimilation reaction, but higher concentra- tions proved detrimental. Larger quartz particles increase the SiO2 levels at the local reaction interface between the iron ore and CaO, thereby reducing the LAT. Quartz-gibbsite is more conductive to assimilation than kaolin. Quartz-gibbsite and kaolin gangues encourage the forma- tion of liquid-phase low-Al2O3-SFCA with high IFL and high-Al2O3-SFCA with low IFL, respectively.

Influencing factors and mechanism of water absorption process of iron ores during sintering

The appropriate content and distribution of sinter moisture play an important role in the granulation of iron ores. In this study, the effects of porosity, size distribution, and particle shape on the water absorption rate （WAR） of four types of iron ores were analyzed by using the immersion method and capillary water absorption method. In addition, the mechanism underlying the water absorption process in iron ores was unraveled. It is found that the WARs of iron ores decrease quickly with the increase in water absorption time at the initial stages of water absorption. With further increase in absorption time, the WARs decrease gradually, until near 0. Iron ores with higher porosity, smaller particle size, and plate-like structure have the higher WARs. Compared with pores in the single-particle iron ore, voids among particles in the multi-particle iron oxide play an important role at the initial stages of water absorption. The water absorption mechanism of all single-particle and multi-particle iron ores analyzed in this study includes four steps, wherein the first three steps play a significant role in the sintering pro-cess.

Magnetite Quartzite-Type Iron Ores – China's Most Important Current Iron Ore Source

China is abundant in iron-ore resources, with proven ore reserves of 576.62×10^8 t and proven reserves of 210×10^8 t, containing an average iron content of 33%. However, the rich iron-ore reserves of 10.85×10^8 t only account for 1.9% of all proven reserves. China＇s iron-ore resources are characterized by many lean ores and a few rich ones.

Effects of CaO and Na2CO3 on the Reduction of High Silicon Iron Ores

The effects of CaO and Na2CO3 on the reduction of high silicon iron ores at 1 250 ℃ were studied. The experimental results showed that the metallization rate was significantly hindered by the addition of CaO and Na2CO3, particularly at the early stage of roasting, compared to the rate without additives. In the absence of additives, iron oxides were quickly reduced to metallic iron, and fayalite was difficult to form. When CaO and Na2CO3 were added, the low reducible iron-containing silicate compounds formed and melted, subsequently retarding the metallization process. The inhibition of Na2CO3 was more noticeable than that of CaO, and higher Na2CO3 doses resulted in stronger inhibition of the increased metallization rate. However, when Na2CO3 was added prior to CaO, the liquid phase formed, which facilitated the growth of the metallic phase. To reinforce the separation of the metallic phase and slag, an appropriate amount of liquid phase generated during the reduction is necessary. It was shown that when 10% CaO and 10% Na2CO3 were added, a high metallization rate and larger metallic iron particles were obtained, thus further decreasing the required Na2CO3 dosage.

Structural Origin of the Red-Ribbon Style Iron Ores in the Xinyu Iron Deposit,Central Jiangxi Province

The Xinyu iron deposit, located in central Jiangxi Province, is one of the most important BIF-type deposits in China. It is hosted in the Late Proterozoic volcanic- sedimentary rocks, which are composed of sericite- chlorite pyhllite, magnetite-bearing chlorite phyllite or schist, magnetite quartzite, and schist （Yu et al., 1989; Zeng et al., 2011）.

Detection of the assimilation characteristics of iron ores: Dynamic resistance measurements

Resistance in iron ore undergoes a sharp change of up to several orders of magnitude when the sintered solid phase changes to liquid phase.In view of the insufficiency of existing assimilation detection methods,a timing-of-assimilation reaction is proposed,which was judged by continuously detecting the changes in resistance at the reaction interface.Effects of pole position and additional amounts of iron ore on assimilation reaction timing were investigated.The results showed that the suitable depth of pole groove was about 2 mm,and there was no obvious impact when the distance of the poles changed from 4 to 6 mm,or the amount of iron ore changed from 0.4 to 0.6 g.The temperature of sudden change of resistance in the temperature-resistant image was considered to be the lowest assimilation temperature of iron ore.The accuracy of this resistance method was clarified by X-ray diffraction,optical microscope,and scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectrometer(SEM/EDS)analyses.

Destruction and removal efficiency of PICs by various iron ores during sintering-exploratory testing

Worldwide,iron ore sintering is the largest industrial single source of dioxin emissions^(1-3).Conversely, some ores may help in reducing emissions,because of their aptitude of(a) adsorbing and(b) oxidising or decomposing TOC and dioxins^(4,5).Such dioxin abatement abilities were tested for five types of ores,representing major ore origins(Australia,Brazil,and South Africa ),minerals(magnetite,haematite,goethite,pisolite ),and properties,e.g.porosity,and Loss on Ignition(LOI) values.In total,11 exploratory experimental runs were conducted on iron ores,to test the oxidation in air of four different organic trace test substances:acetone, chloroform,n-hexane,and toluene contained in a test gas were led simultaneously over the ore over a preestablished temperature program.Each test comprehends a first part with a programmed temperature rise,a brief soaking period at the temperature maximum(>400℃),and a ballistic cooling part.The concentration of the four organics is continuously monitored by Mass Spectrometry(MS) operating in a full-scan mode(m/e < 100). Exploratory experiments allowed differentiating the ores tested according to the Destruction & Removal Efficiency(DRE) attained.To check the results the products of oxidation in the effluent were sampled on Tenax and identified.Also,the dioxin load remaining on several test residues was examined and found to be quite limited (pg I-TEQ/g).

Super-high bed sintering for iron ores:problems ascertainment

Super-high bed sintering process is an important development direction of iron ore sintering for its lower emission and higher yield.However,there is a lack of deep understanding of the uneven quality of super-high bed sintering products,and the deterioration of reduction disintegration performance,the thickening of hearth layer and the reduction in energy-saving effect are perplexing enterprises and researchers.To ascertain the problems of super-high bed sintering,ten sintering machines with the areas of 265,280,360,550 and 660 m^(2)and bed depth above 900 mm were sampled and analyzed.The results showed that problems were mainly shown in the unevenness of chemical composition,macrostructure,mechanical strength and metallurgical performance.The chemical composition exhibits severe segregation in both horizontal and vertical directions,with basicity segregation reaching as high as 0.81.The uneven macrostructure of sinter is reflected in a 10%difference in porosity and mechanical strength increase in 16%–19%along the vertical direction.The reducibility and reduction disintegration performance gradually deteriorate along the bed depth,with a difference of 10.5%in reducibility and 7.3%in RDI−0.5 mm(reduction disintegration index of sinter with size smaller than 0.5 mm).

Reaction characteristics of carbon-bearing pellets of Bayan Obo lean iron ores in a static magnetic field

The use of low-grade,refractory and composite paragenetic mineral resources is necessary for overcoming the shortage of iron ore resources in China.As a solution to the treatment of such iron ores,the direct reduction of carbon-bearing pellets can ensure complete iron removal and the effective enrichment of other high-value elements.Thus,this technology enjoys a broad application prospect.However,there are several problems with low-temperature reduction,such as low iron ore reaction efficiency,long reaction time,and high energy consumption.To improve the low-temperature carbothermic reduction efficiency of iron ores,a static magnetic field with magnetic induction intensity of 1.0 T was introduced.An isothermal reduction experiment was conducted at 1223 K to study the low-temperature self-reduction characteristics of carbon-bearing pellets of Bayan Obo lean iron ores in the static magnetic field.Also,the acting mechanism of the magnetic field was explored from the perspective of the reduction process,reaction efficiency,phase composition,microstructure changes,and dynamic behavior of iron ores.The results showed that the magnetic field can increase the low-temperature reduction rate of carbon-bearing pellets of Bayan Obo lean iron ores.Under the conditions of reduction temperature of 1223 K,magnetic induction intensity of 1.0 T,and reduction time of 60 min,the reduction degree was 92.42%,1.65 times that without a magnetic field.The magnetic field promoted the replacement of Ca^(2+)and Fe^(2+),so that the hard-to-reduce iron-bearing silicates were reduced in the order of Fe2SiO_(4)→(Ca,Na)FeSiO_(4)→FeO→Fe.The magnetic field enabled loose minerals,more pores and cracks,and changes in the growth morphology and distribution position of metallic iron.Compared with the case under the non-magnetic condition,the metallic iron precipitated from the slag phase in a foliated shape,separated from the matrix iron oxides,and grew up at the junction of the slag phase and coke.The magnetic field significantly increased the interfacial chemical reaction rate of the carbothermic reduction of iron ores and reduced the internal diffusion resistance of gas in the product layer.Specifically,the interfacial chemical reaction rate increased by 138%and the internal diffusion coefficient increased by 309%.Therefore,the effect of the magnetic field on the internal diffusion resistance was the main cause for strengthening the low-temperature reduction of iron ores.

Bulk geochemistry,Rb-Sr,Sm-Nd,and stable O-H isotope systematics of the Metzimevin high-grade iron ore deposit,Mbalam iron ore district,southern Cameroon

Bulk geochemistry,Sr,Nd,and O-H isotope systematics are reported for the first time on banded iron formation(BIF)-hosted high-grade iron ore at the northwestern segment of Congo Craton(CC).Located in Mbalam iron ore district,Southern Cameroon,Metzimevin iron ore deposit is a hematite-magnetite BIF system,dominated by SiO_(2)+Fe_(2)O_(3)(97.1 to 99.84 wt%),with low concentrations of clastic elements e.g.,Al_(2)O_(3),TiO_(2),and HFSE,depicting a nearly pure chemical precipitate.The REE+Y signature of the iron deposit displays strong positive Eu anomaly,strong negative Ce anomaly,and chondritic to superchondritic Y/Ho ratios,suggestive of formation by mixed seawater-high temperature hydrothermal fluids in oxidising environment.The^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios of the BIF are higher than the maximum^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr evolution curves for all Archean reservoirs(bulk silicate earth,Archean crust and Archean seawater),indicating involvement of continentally-derived components during BIF formation and alteration.TheƐ_(Nd)(t)(+2.26 to+3.77)and Nd model age indicate that chemical constituents for the BIF were derived from undifferentiated crustal source,between 3.002 and 2.88 Ga.The variable and diverse O and H isotope data(−1.9‰to 17.3‰and−57‰to 136‰respectively)indicate that the Metzimevin iron ore formed initially from magmatic plumes and later enriched by magmatic-metamorphic-modified meteoric fluids.Mass balance calculations indicate mineralisation by combined leaching and precipitation,with an average iron enrichment factor of>2.67 and SiO_(2)depletion factor of>0.99.This is associated with an overall volume reduction of 28.27%,reflecting net leaching and volume collapse of the BIF protholith.

Diffusion and reaction mechanism of limestone and quartz in fluxed iron ore pellet roasting process

The increase to the proportion of fluxed pellets in the blast furnace burden is a useful way to reduce the carbon emissions in the ironmaking process.In this study,the interaction between calcium carbonate and iron ore powder and the mineralization mechanism of fluxed iron ore pellet in the roasting process were investigated through diffusion couple experiments.Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy was used to study the elements’diffusion and phase transformation during the roasting process.The results indicated that limestone decomposed into calcium oxide,and magnetite was oxidized to hematite at the early stage of preheating.With the increase in roasting temperature,the diffusion rate of Fe and Ca was obviously accelerated,while the diffusion rate of Si was relatively slow.The order of magnitude of interdiffusion coefficient of Fe_(2)O_(3)-CaO diffusion couple was 10^(−10) m^(2)·s^(−1) at a roasting temperature of 1200℃for 9 h.Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5) was the initial product in the Fe_(2)O_(3)-CaO-SiO_(2) diffusion interface,and then Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5) continued to react with Fe_(2)O_(3) to form CaFe_(2)O_(4).With the expansion of the diffusion region,the sillico-ferrite of calcium liquid phase was produced due to the melting of SiO_(2) into CaFe_(2)O_(4),which can strengthen the consolidation of fluxed pellets.Furthermore,andradite would be formed around a small part of quartz particles,which is also conducive to the consolidation of fluxed pellets.In addition,the principle diagram of limestone and quartz diffusion reaction in the process of fluxed pellet roasting was discussed.

Determination of critical state line(CSL)for silty-sandy iron ore tailings subjected to low-high confining pressures

The disposal of filtered tailings in high dry stacks can induce particle breakage,changing the material's behaviour during the structure's lifetime.The grading changes influence material properties at the critical state,and this is not mature for intermediate artificial soils(tailings)in a broad range of confining pressures.In this paper,it aims to describe the behaviour of iron ore tailings in a spectrum of confining pressures broader than the reported in previous studies.A series of consolidated drained(CD)triaxial tests was carried out with confining pressures ranging from 0.075 MPa to 120 MPa.These results show that the amount of breakage plays an essential role in the response of iron ore tailings.The existence of curved critical state line(CSL)in both specific volume(ν)-logarithm of mean effective stress(p′)and deviatoric stress(q)-mean effective stress(p′)planes,and different responses in the deviatoric stress-axial strain-volumetric strain curves were verified.An inverse S-shaped equation was proposed to represent the silty-sandy tailings'behaviour up to high pressures onν-lnp′plane.The proposed equation provides a basis for enhancing constitutive models and considers the evolution of the grading up to severe loading conditions.The adjustment considered three regions with different responses associated with particle breakage at different pressure levels.

Sintering Properties and Optimal Blending Schemes of Iron Ores

In order to obtain good sintering performance, it is important to understand sintering properties of iron ores. Sintering properties including chemical composition, granulation and high-temperature behaviors of ores from China, Brazil and Australia. Furthermore, several indices were defined to evaluate sintering properties of iron ores. The results show that： for chemical composition, Brazilian ores present high TFe, low SiOz, and low Alz03 con- tent. For granulation, particle diameter ratio of Brazilian ores are high; particle intermediate fraction of Chinese con- centrates are low; and average particle size and clay type index of Australian ores are high. For high-temperature properties, ores from China, Brazil and Australia present different characteristics. Ores from different origins should be mixed together to obtain good high-temperature properties. According to the analysis of each ore＇s sintering prop- erties, an ore blending scheme （Chinese concentrates 20 ^-1- Brazilian ores 400//oo -k Australian ores 40 ~） was sugges- ted. Moreover, sinter pot test using blending mix was performed, and the results indicated that the ore blending scheme led to good sintering performance and sinter quality.

Removal of Phosphorus From High Phosphorus Iron Ores by Selective HCl Leaching Method

The selective HCl leaching method was used to remove phosphorus from high phosphorus iron ores. The hydroxyapatite in high phosphorus iron ores was converted into soluble phosphate during the process of HCl leaching. The effects of reaction time,particle size,hydrochloric acid concentration,reaction temperature,liquid-solid ratio and stirring strength on the dephosphorization ratio were studied. The results showed that the dephosphorization ratio can exceed 98% under the conditions of reaction time 30-45 min,particle size 0.147 mm,hydrochloric acid concentration 2.5 mol/L,reaction temperature 25 ℃,liquid-solid ratio 5：1 and stirring strength 5.02-12.76 s-1. After dephosphorization reaction,the content of phosphorus in iron ore complied completely with the requirements of steel production.

Ability for Self-Pelletization of Iron Ores and Magnetite Concentrates

A procedure for evaluating the susceptibility of raw materials for the process of sintering of iron ore mixes is presented. The procedure relies on the evaluation of the amount and quality of the finest grain fraction. The method is based on determination of particular grain fractions. For the grain less than 0.15 mm, the determination of the a- mount is performed using an IPS （Infrared Particles Sizer） grain size analyzer and for the grain larger than 0.15 ram, the fraction is determined using the （wet and dry） screening methods. This allows for quantity assessment of the quality of material in terms of its susceptibility to self-pelletizing by calculating Total Ability for SelPPelletizing （TASP） index fT. The presented method, in combination with the grain size and chemical analyses, can serve for evaluation of suitability of raw material and mixes for the sintering process. Furthermore, the TASP index for 10 types of iron ores and concentrates was determined. The usability of the TASP index was verified by determination of its impact on yield of sintering process both in laboratory and in industry scale.

Effects of Temperature and Atmosphere on Sintering Process of Iron Ores

The relationship of time to minerals composition in sinters is investigated by mineragraphy are claritied observation and component analysis, and the effects of temperature and atmosphere on mineralization process. Results are obtained as follows. The initial melt forms below the eutectic temperature of CaO·Fe2O3 and CaO·2Fe2O3, which is complex substance containing Ca, Fe, Si and Al, rather than the binary calcium ferrite melt. Minerals composition of binding phase is related to local content of silica in melt, which is influenced by temperature. Appearance of the melt promotes the transition from hematite to magnetite, which then alters the mechanism of calcium ferrite formation. Before the formation of magnetite, the contents of Fe and Ca within the multiple calcium ferrite decrease with temperature, but in the case of magnetite presence, the content of Fe increases solely with increase of temperature and decrease of oxygen potential. Temperature and atmosphere determine minerals composition together, and bring influence on sintering process in different ways. It can be deduced that temperature affects kinetics of the mineralization process, but atmosphere just plays a role in thermodynamics.

Strengthening granulation behavior of specularite concentrates based on matching of characteristics of iron ores in sintering process

Specularite concentrates have advantages of high ferrous grade, less harmful impurities and low price. However, the small size and poor granulation behavior of specularite concentrates consequently deteriorate the permeability of sinter bed and reduce the productivity of sinter, resulting in un-effective utilization in sintering process. The granulation experiments were carried out when specularite concentrates matched with five kinds of fine or coarse ores, and the effects of surface property and wettability of fine or coarse ores on granulation behavior of specularite concentrates were investigated. Then, the optimized ore blending recipes were proposed to strengthen the granulation behavior of specularite concentrates. The results indicated that the growth index increased with increasing the specific surface area of fine ores and had a positive linear correlation with the circularity degree of coarse ores, whereas negative correlations exist between the growth index and the contact angle of fine or coarse ores. Compared with the concentrates, the growth index increased by approximately 22% scheme of blended ores containing 15 mass% specularite in the case of using Ore-A and Ore-E with greater surface property and higher wettability to replace all of Ore-B and half of Ore-D, respectively. Furthermore, the vertical sintering speed and the productivity of sinter improved by approximately 23% and 20%, respectively.

Mechanical behavior of iron ore tailings under standard compression and extension triaxial stress paths

The disposal of mining tailings has increasingly focused on the use of dry stacks.These structures offer more security since they use filtered and compacted material.Because of the construction method and the heights achieved,the material that compounds the structure can be subjected to different stress paths along the failure plane.The theoretical framework considered in the design of these structures generally is the critical state soil mechanics(CSSM).However,the data in the literature concerning the uniqueness of critical state line(CSL)is still controversial as the soil is subjected to different stress paths.With respect to tailings,this question is even more restricted.This paper studies two tailings with different gradings due to the beneficial processes over extension and compression paths.A series of drained and undrained triaxial tests was conducted over a range of initial densities and stress levels.In the q-p'plane,different critical stress ratio(M)values were obtained for compression and extension stress paths.However,the critical state friction angle is very similar with a slightly higher critical state friction angle for extension tests.Curved stress path dependent CSLs were obtained in the n-lnp0 plane with the extension tests below the CSL defined in compression.Regarding the fines content,the studied tailings presented very similar M and critical state friction angle values.However,the fines content af-fects the volumetric behavior of the studied tailings and the CSLs on the n-lnp0 plane shift downwards with the increasing fines content for compression and extension tests.In relation to dilatancy analysis,the fines content did not present an evident influence on the dilatancy of the materials.However,different values of mean stress ratio N were obtained between compression and extension tests and can corroborate the existence of non-unique CSLs for these materials.