Bentonite of Khakassia Ltd., Chernogorsk, Russia¹ ; Research Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources named after Academician N. V. Melnikov (ICEMR RAS), Moscow, Russia²:

D. A. Vetyugov, Mineral Processing Technologist¹, Postgraduate Student², e-mail: vetug7@gmail.com

Research Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources named after Academician N. V. Melnikov (ICEMR RAS), Moscow, Russia:

T. N. Matveeva, Dr. Eng., Deputy Director for Research, Head of the Dept. of Complex Extraction of Mineral Components from Natural and Technogenic Raw Materials, e-mail: tmatveyeva@mail.ru

In this article, we present the results of the experimental studies of new compositions of bentonite-polymer composites (BPC) for use as a binder in the process of Stoilensky GOK (SGOK) iron-ore pelletizing. The alkali-activated bentonite clay from the 10^th Khutor (Republic of Khakassia) was used as the main ingredient of the BPC. The bentonitepolymer composites used in this work are mixtures of organic polymer and bentonite clay with improved binding and strengthening properties. The polymer binders are presented by the domestic high-viscosity binders (in the composition of BPC-1 and BPC-3) used to improve the viscosity and filtration characteristics of the materials. Experimental data were compared with the basic characteristics of pellets from the charge of the JSC SGOK pelletizing plant. During these studies were defined the possibility of bentonite consumption reduction by 20 %, 30 %, and 50 % by adding bentonite-polymer composite to the charge. The analysis of the laboratory test results of green and dry pellets including moisture content, size distribution, compressive strength, and green drop, allowed defining the optimal composition of bentonite-polymer composite and its consumption in charge during pelletizing. It is established that replacing pure bentonite with BPC-1 allowed reducing the binder consumption by 30%, providing a more homogeneous pellet size distribution with improved strength characteristics.

The authors express their gratitude to the staff of the laboratory of pelletizing of Bentonite of Khakassia Ltd. and personally to the head of the project "Bentonite in the production of metallurgical raw materials" V. I. Lebedeva for their assistance in conducting research.

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