Improvement of Productivity and Reduction Disintegration of Iron Ore Sinter by Increasing Size of Limestone Particles

Abstract

Sintering tests were carried out by using high Al₂O₃ ores to clarify the influence of limestone particle size on the production and the quality of sinter.
Delayed decomposition of limestone and melt formation by increased size of limestone particles increases the permeability of the sintering bed and makes the heat pattern sharp, which leads to an increase in productivity and better quality sinter on the degradation characteristic during reduction.
The measurements of fracture toughness of calcium ferrite and glassy silicate by Vickers indentation show little difference between their values.On the other hand calcium ferrite has the lowest value of critical fracture toughness, indicating that crack initiation characteristics, among minerals in sinter, affect the degradation of sintered are during reduction.
Formation mechanism of the skeletal hematite was tested experimentally and it was found that magnetite coexisted with liquid slag melt is oxidized as the temperature decreases during last half stage of sintering.