Interactions between iron oxides and additives in iron ore pellets during reduction

This project aims to enhance the fundamental understanding of physical and chemical interactions occurring between additives and iron oxides in an iron ore pellet during reduction in the blast furnace. This understanding is considered essential in order to develop pellets with optimal reducibility, mechanical strength, alkali properties and primary slag formation

In previous studies the pellets used have been of compositions close to that of commercial pellets and typically material from full scale production lines. Due to variations that cannot be avoided in full scale production, very large samples have to be studied to reach reasonable confidence levels. It is therefore commonly quite difficult to draw conclusions from these results. In this work, pellets of high uniformity will be produced using micro-rolling equipment developed by LKAB. The reduction behaviour of micro-rolled pellets with different amounts and types of additives will then be studied.

Pär Semberg