EFFECT OF FINES CONTENT IN THE ORE BLEND ON SINTERING PARAMETERS AND SINTER QUALITY

With the proposed scheme of beneficiation of iron ore classifier fines at Tata Steel in order to reduce the alumina content in sinter, the f raction below 100 mesh in the blended ore fines used for sintermaking is expected to increase from the present 10-15% to about 30%. Laborato ry sintering tests showed that sinter productivity decreases with incr easing fines content and would be about 16% lower at the envisaged fin es content after beneficiation. With an increase in lime additions fro m 6 kg to 15 kg/tonne of sinter, it was possible to restore sinter pro ductivity with higher sinter strength. Similar observations were also made during actual large scale trials in the New Sinter Plant at Tata Steel.