In order to develop techniques to counter the deterioration in sintering operation when using a large volume usage of high-goethite ore, basic research was first conducted on the self-densification conditions of the representative pisolite Ore-D. The result showed that Ore-D is densified when heated to 1350°C or above for practical purposes. Next, the pseudo-particle structure of Ore-D fines required to densify the nucleus Ore-D particle at a high temperature before contact with calcium ferrite system melt was clarified by the assimilation tests of tablets.
On the basis of these basic research results, a new sintering process, tentatively called the "High-goethite ore self-densification sintering process" was proposed. This process is characterized by the pregranulation of high-goethite ore, serpentine and a small amount of solid fuel fines and by the formation of a protective layer on the coarse ore particles. The results of sintering pot test and short-term sinter plant test confirmed that the new process can be a powerful tool to successfully use a large volume of highgoethite ore in sinter production.
