Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Lebedev A. B., Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, 2799957@mail.ru
Sizyakov V. M., Academic Supervisor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor
Sharikov F. Yu., Chief Researcher, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, felix101t@mail.ru

This study investigates the pelletization of ground ferruginous quartzites sourced from the Mikhailovsky Mining and Processing Plant, with a particle size of less than 0.090 mm, utilizing red mud (RM) as a binding agent and calcined petroleum coke as a reducing agent for iron oxides. The research encompasses both pellets and briquettes with varying compositions of red mud (up to 2 % by weight) and calcined coke (ranging from 2 % to 10 % by weight). The sintering of briquettes with red mud was conducted at 1100 °C, yielding gas permeabilities between 3.0×10–12 and 6.7×10–12 m2. Notably, hematite crystals exhibited good aggregation when subjected to heating at 965 °C for 60 minutes, allowing for the removal of gaseous products and promoting the formation of hematite bonds, which initiated the reduction of iron within the pellets. Post-sintering, the pellets were crushed and subjected to magnetic separation to isolate the magnetite and hematite phases. The resulting product, with a particle size ranging from 0.063 to 0.090 mm, contained up to 61.24 % by weight of magnetic iron. The subsequent pellet formation was performed using the recovered materials, revealing a significant enhancement in the mechanical strength of the pellets, accompanied by a uniform distribution of porosity. The optimal additive composition was determined to be a mix of red mud and calcined petroleum coke in a 1 : 2 ratio, with the moisture content in the pelletizing mix not exceeding 7 % by weight. It has been established that an initial composition of 2 % by weight of red mud and 4 % by weight of calcined petroleum coke, combined with a re-calcination temperature of 1100 °C, yields pellets with compressive strengths suitable for blast furnace operations, reaching 240–250 kg/pellet.

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