Characterization and drying kinetics of iron ore pellet feed and sinter feed

Abstract

The moisture content of iron ore must be suitable for safe handling and transporting operations. Here, the characterization and drying kinetics of iron ore concentrates were presented and recommendations for the design of dryers were discussed. Pellet feed and sinter feed showed a high amount of fine particles (8–20% d_p<10 µm) and a low pore volume (V_pore<10 µm). An ample period for drying at constant rate was observed (critical moisture around 5%), indicating that drying processes aiming at a moderate moisture reduction could be performed within this period. These findings contribute to the design of dryers and support economic operations.

Keywords:

• Iron ore concentrates
• drying kinetics
• transportable moisture limit
• mineral processing

Declaration of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. This work was also supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – Brasil (CNPq) under Grant [141301/2019-8] and Grant [142102/2019-9]; and Vale S.A. - Brazil.