Uc. Chung et al., DEGRADATION CHARACTERISTICS OF IRON-ORE FINES OF A WIDE SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN FLUIDIZED-BED REDUCTION, ISIJ international, 38(9), 1998, pp. 943-952
Three mechanisms of the degradation behavior of iron ore fines (IOF) s
ized 1 to 5 mm during fluidized-bed reduction have been investigated:
mechanical degradation (MD), thermal degradation (TD) and reactional d
egradation (RD). The effects of operational parameters such as ore typ
e, temperature, superficial gas velocity, and reducing gas composition
have also been studied. The degradation in three mechanisms has been
quantitatively evaluated by the amount of IOF smaller than 1 mm which
was produced and by the weight change of IOF in the bed during fluidiz
ation. The reactional degradation becomes the most predominant aspect
among the three and the thermal degradation is the least when the IOF
has a low water content, while the degradations of all three aspects a
re not much different in contribution when the IOF has a high water co
ntent. For the effect of operating parameters, the IOF of a lower sphe
ricity showed a higher degradation in the cold fluidization under iner
t atmosphere but this effect was lessened or negligible under a fluidi
zed-bed reduction at a high temperature. A higher water content in the
IOF demonstrated a higher degradation at a high temperature. In the f
luidized-bed reduction, the degradation was little affected by the rea
ction temperature, the superficial gas velocity, and the reducing gas
composition. In addition, ail three aspects of degradation were mostly
completed in the early stage, within 15 min, of the operations.