A case study of pellet size fraction influence on pelletizing operation

ABSTRACT

Pellet production is constantly optimized considering different aspects of the production chain from run of mining (ROM) to metallic iron. Industrially, the trade-off between an optimum pellet-size-ratio and the maximum performance in the steel production chain is a relevant subject. The present case study at a Brazilian operation shows the impact of different pellet size fractions on performance of operation, improvements on the fired pellets, less fine generation during handling, and superior metallurgical behavior during the reduction process, resulting in the production of direct reduction iron (DRI) that add more value to the economic performance of the electric arc furnaces (EAF).

KEYWORDS:

• Pellet size ratio
• process optimization
• tumble index

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Samarco Mining, CAPES-PROEX, CNPq and FAPEMIG for stimulating and supporting research.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.