Development of iron ores sintering machine for blast furnace process

There must be proper means to sinter and, agglomerated iron ore concentrate before it can be further processed in the blast furnace. A Sintering machine of 5kg capacity of agglomerated ore was designed and fabricated using mild steel material, which was locally sourced. The machine was fabricated with a combustion chamber of 30 by 30 cm and with 15cm depth. It was also lined with refractory material to reduce the chamber to the volume of 3375 cm3. However, the sintering chamber was designed to have a truncated square pyramid shape to the volume of 2150 cm3 after lining with refractory material. The design was made to utilize coke and palm kernel shell char as fuel which will be ignited to produce heat into the sintered material by suction of the heat into the agglomerated sintered ore. Tests such as tumbler index, abrasion, and porosity test were carried out on the sintered products in agreement with ASTM E276 and E389 standards. The results from the test gave a tumbler index of 70.2% and 65.7% for coke and palm kernel shells respectively. Also, abrasion index of 5.1% and 4.6% for coke and palm kernel char, and porosity of 6.8% and 6.5% for coke and palm kernel char respectively. The results from the experimental test were in agreement with other research work. Therefore, the developed iron ore sintering machine has a better efficiency of producing sinter for blast furnace operation.

A technology of production of a high-basic sinter in the agromeration workshop of Enakievo metallurgical plant and possible ways of its improvement

During the last six years production of high-fluxed sinter at sinter workshop of Enakievo metallurgical plant is accomplished by using sinter charge, comprising almost equal shares of iron ore concentrate and metallurgical wastes. It is done because of insufficient and non-regular supplies of iron ore concentrates. The experience gained can be of some interest for specialists of sintering and BF production of other plants to ensure the operation under conditions of breach of iron ore raw material supply as well as utilization of wastes. An analytical and statistical evaluation of technical and economical indices of sintering accomplished, while component content, the charge basicity and technological conditions of it preparation and sintering variation. Results of industrial study of technological conditions and sinter production parameters presented while its basicity was varied within the range of 1.7–4.1 abs. units in some periods of 2019. Results of pilot-industrial experiments on production in the IVQ-2019 of several batches of rather strong sinter highlighted, while their basicity was varied in series from 2.0 to 5.0 abs. units. A method of adjusting of sintering speed of a high-basic charge along the width of sintering machine proposed, comprising a rational forming of the charge layer in the charging funnel and the layer profile with a concave parabola surface form along the sintering machine width. The method comprised also an increase of the charge volume density in the upper elemental layers and particularly – in the peripheral zones of general charge layer at the sintering machines pallets. Description of the charging complex on the sintering machine pallets was given. Scientific and practical recommendations elaborated for modernization the technology and technological equipment for the charge loading on the sintering machine.

Improvement of Agglomeration Technology by a Sinter Mix Preheating

A series of industrial experiments was carried out on the sinter machine No. 1 of the sinter department of JSC "Ural Steel". The dynamics of the sinter mix temperature during the technological stages of its preparation from pelleting to loading on pallets was studied, depending on a water temperature change during pelletizing. It was defined that for the winter working of the sinter department of JSC "Ural Steel" the water temperature increases, which supplied the pelletizer to moistening, for every 10 ° C, facilitates an increase in the temperature of the sinter mix on the pallets by 1.5-2.0 °C. Therefore, for stable sinter mix production with a temperature of more than 55 ° C, it is necessary to use water supplied to the pelletizer for moistening, with a temperature of at least 85°C. To implement the proposed technology, it is necessary to equip the sinter machines with water-heating recuperative heater, installed above the sintering machine behind the ignition hood and using heat, radiated from the surface of the sinter.