Abstract
The authors describe their experience with organic binders in pelletization plant. It started with carboxi-methyl-cellulose and hematite concentrates. The addition of sodium tri-poli-phosphate (TPP) was demonstrated to be essential. In pelletizing limestone fines, it has been shown to be possible to use dispersants like soda ash, for this particular case, it was possible to make use of no binder and to work only with the dispersant. This fact has been understood as a consequence of the dispersing effect of the chemicals. To check this hypothesis, a set of different kinds of organic dispersants were prepared to test on pellet feed, with the interesting results described herein.
The conclusion is a model for the behaviour of these binders as: 1 – the dispersion of colloidal particles on the surface of the particles to pelletise increases the viscosity in the liquid film between the particles, and 2 – it provides the physical way to link then by bridging. As a practical consequence, in principle, any dispersant may become the binder for pelletization and there is potential to achieve greater mechanical values than by using the conventional binders, bentonite and lime.
