Raw Materials

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1. Introduction.
In direct reduction (DR) processes, the characteristics and cost of available iron
ores play a very important role. The selection of suitable raw materials will
optimize productivity, energy consumption and the overall economics of
industrial plants.
Many commercially available DR grade-iron ores, both in pellet and as lump ore,
have been extensively tried in direct reduction plants. Therefore, their behavior
during reduction conditions is already well known to DR plants operators.
However, there are some other iron ores, from different parts of the world,
whose properties have not been evaluated for direct reduction. Moreover, the
characteristics of some ores from the same mine may vary drastically from
deposit to deposit. It is therefore necessary for the DR technologist to have
accurate methods available for correlating small/medium scale test results with
industrial scale performance.
HYL has been actively involved in the direct reduction field since the 1950s.
Experiences gathered from industrial operations, together with an active
research and development organization, support a very deep knowledge on the
behavior of different iron ores in the direct reduction process.
The raw material specifications for direct reduction processes should be
determined primarily by the overall economics of both the direct reduction plant
and the associated steelmaking plant.
The raw materials most suitable for direct reduction-steelmaking are selected
according to the following criteria:
Chemical and physical characteristics of the iron oxide.
Reduction properties such as reducibility, sticking tendency,
disintegration tendency and swelling.
Overall economics of both direct reduction and steelmaking.
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2. Chemical Characteristics.
The typical range of chemical analysis for commercially available iron ores is
shown in Table RM-I.
For the HYL direct reduction process, there are not practical limitations
regarding the chemical composition of the iron ore. Common impurities such as
sulphur and phosphorous, which can be present in some particular ores in
relatively high concentration, can be used without any technical limitation in
HYL plants.
Table RM-I
Typical Range of Chemical Analysis
in Iron Ores for Direct Reduction
(% weight)
Fe (total) 65 - 69
Phosphorous 0.01 - 0.30
Sulphur 0.001 - 0.40
SiO
2
+ Al
2
O
3
1.5 - 4.5
CaO + MgO 0.15 - 4.0
Na
2
O + K
2
O 0.05 - 0.20
Gangue 1.4 7.0
CaO / SiO
2
0.10 0.80
Particularly, regarding the sulphur content in iron ores, the HYL process is very
flexible for using high-sulphur feedstocks, since reducing gas is not recycled
through a reformer, and thus the possibility of poisoning the reformer catalyst by
sulphur does not exist.
Moreover, most of the sulphur from the iron ore, converted to H
2
S in the
reduction reactor, is eliminated from the process in subsequent separation
steps, i.e. quench towers and CO
2
removal unit. Therefore, DRI produced in
HYL plants has typically low sulphur levels.
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Since the chemical reactions occurring in the direct reduction process are
related to oxygen removal and carbon incorporation, the amount of non-
reducible oxides (gangue) commonly present in iron ores such as silica,
alumina, magnesia and lime remains unchanged after the reduction process.
However, because of the removal of significant amounts of oxygen from the ore,
the percentages of total iron, gangue and impurities in the product increase
although the relative amount of each remains constant. The chemical change is
the formation of metallic iron and iron carbide.
It should be stressed that a proper selection of iron ores is related to the overall
economics of the direct reduction, steelmaking and downstream processes.
Although a low chemical quality of the ore will not affect adversely the reduction
process, the energy needed for melting DRI in the electric arc furnace is
influenced by the gangue content, basicity, and levels of metallization and
carbon.
3. Physical Characteristics.
The iron ores physical properties are important for the direct reduction process.
For the specification of a particular ore, the following physical parameters shall
be considered:
Size distribution, which allows homogeneous feeding and adequate solids
flow pattern.
Mechanical strength, to prevent degradation and excessive fines generation
during handling, reduction and transportation.
The recommended iron ore physical properties for the HYL process are
summarized in Table RM-II.
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Table RM-II
Physical Properties Recommended for the HYL Process
Size distribution:
Pellets Lump Ores
+ 32 mm. - 5.0 max
+ 16 mm. 5.0 max. -
- 10 mm. 9.0 max. 9.0 max.
- 6.3 mm. 1.0 max. 1.0 max.
-3.2 mm. - 2.0 max.
Mechanical properties:
Pellets Lump Ores
Bulk density (ton/m
3
): 2.0 min. -
Particle porosity (%): 20.0 min. -
Impact index (% +6.3 mm.): 95 min. 90 min.
Tumbler index (% +6.3 mm.): 95 min. 90 min.
Abrasion index (% -500m): 5max. 10 max.
Compression strength:
(kg/pellet) ; (+10 mm. ; -16 mm.) 200 min. -
4. Reduction Properties.
In direct reduction plants, the iron ore behavior at reduction conditions is the
most important factor to determine the design conditions for processing a
particular iron ore.
HYL has developed experimental procedures to accurately determine the
reduction properties of iron ore pellets and lump ores. The recommended
reduction properties for the HYL process are summarized in Table RM-III.
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Table RM-III
Reduction Properties Recommended for the HYL Process
Pellets Lump Ores
Reducibility index ( k x 10
2
min
-1
):
- At 800 C 3 min. 2 min.
- At 950 C 4 min. 4 min.
Sticking index at 950 C: - -
45 max. -
Low temperature disintegration:
- At 500 C;+6.3 mm. 88% min. 70% min.
- At 500 C;-3.2 mm. 10% max. 10% max.
- At 500 C; Unbroken pellets 78% min. -
Swelling index:
- At 800 C 10% max. -
- At 950 C 10% max. -
4.1 Reducibility.
It indicates the velocity at which the iron ore can be reduced. The residence
time in the reduction zone is set according to the ore reducibility. Most of the
commercially available iron ores have shown adequate reducibility for being
processed in HYL direct reduction plants.
4.2 Sticking Tendency.
The sticking tendency of an iron ore represents its tendency to form bonds
between molecules of different particles, and as a consequence clusters, which
could lead to solids flow problems.
Since this phenomenon is promoted by heat, the reduction conditions, i.e.
reducing gas flow and temperature, are adjusted according to the sticking
tendency of the iron ore to be processed.
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Typically, iron ore pellets present a higher sticking tendency than lump iron
ores, so that the use of pellet-lump mixtures normally allows a reduction process
at higher temperatures.
To minimize the sticking tendency of iron ores during reduction, HYL plants
incorporate a coating unit, which is utilized for spraying small amounts of a
cement-water slurry or an alternative material to the iron ore feed. The cement
consumption (dry basis) is about 1-5 kg per ton of iron ore charged to the
reactor.
4.3 Disintegration Tendency.
Besides the disintegration related to the mechanical strength of the ore, thermal
fragmentation will occur during the reduction process, first as the ore heats,
followed by reduction fragmentation as the ore starts to reduce to magnetite.
The disintegration tendency of the iron ore at reduction conditions must be
properly evaluated for the direct reduction process.
4.4 Swelling.
Some iron ores develop a volume change during the reduction process, because
crystallographic changes occur in the molecular arrangement. This swelling has
to be considered for an adequate sizing of the reduction unit.
5. Iron Ores used in HYL Moving Bed Plants.
The HYL process has demonstrated a wide flexibility to operate at high
temperature with oxide pellets, lump ores, or mixtures of both. A list of the iron
ores used in industrial HYL moving bed plants is presented in Table RM-IV.
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Table RM-IV
Iron Ores Used in Industrial HYL Moving Bed Plants
2M5/3M5 IMEXSA PTKS PSSB GRASIM USIBA 2P5 4M
Pellet Source
Alzada/Mexico x x x
CMP/Chile x x x
CVRD/Brazil x x x x x
GIIC/Bahrain x x x x
Hierro Peru/Peru x x x
IMEXSA/Mexico x
Kudremukh/India x x
LKAB/Sweden x x x x x
Mandovi/India x
Pea Colorada/Mexico x x x x
Samarco/Brazil x x x x
Sicartsa/Mexico x
SIDOR/Venezuela x x
Lump Ore Source
Alegria/Brazil x
Aquila/Mexico x x
Bailadila/India x
Corumba/Brazil x
El Pao/Venezuela x
Esperanca/Brazil x
Ferteco/Brazil x x x x
Feijao/Brazil x
G.G. Brothers/India x
Mineral Sales/India x
Mutuca/Brazil x x x x
NMDC/India x
Private Parties/India x
SAMITRI/Brazil x
Sishen/South Africa x x
Max. % of Lump 100 30 50 30 15 75 20 -
* * *