T (•C)

1400
CAN LABORATORY PRODU ED IRONBEARJN
G - Pot inter
SAMPLE SHED LIGHT O COMMERCIALLY
PRODUCED MATERIAL?
Renard Chaigneau • and Ruurd H. Heerema
Delft University of Technology
Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering
Dept. of Raw Materials Technology
• Author is currently with Hoogovens Umuiden B. v.
INTRODUCTION
Ironbearing phases synthesized and sintered under close
chemical control in the laboratory can provide more specific
information on microstructural and reduction behavior than
industrially produced agglomerates. This is illustrated by
two different approaches.
The first is a technique involving a high temperature
gradient infrared furnace to indurate small, synthetically
prepared samples under conditions similar to those
n
,encountered on the siter strand, particularly in the upper
portions of the bed. The microstructural properties of the
laboratory-prepared material provide specific information
which can serve to better understand the range in
mineralogy encountered in industrial fluxed sinter.
A second technique is used to simulate the reduction of
ironbearing material in the upper part of the blast furnace.
In this case, a direct comparison can be made between
taluced sinter and samples prepared under close chemical
and physical control in the laboratory.
PART I: SINTER SIMULATION
In this part of the research, attention w�s focus�d on_
the stability of complex calcium ferrites.. This material _ 1s
often referred to as Silico-Ferrites of Calc mm and Al�ma
1200
• Simulation
1000
800 / 700 •CJmin
600 :
400 ··.
200
0 9 10
0 2 3 4 S 6 7 8
Time (minutu)
Figure I Temperature profiles of lhe pot sinter test and the nnulatioo
in the laboratory.
A typical temperature profile achieved with the infrar'71
_
heating furnac e, compared to that of a pot smter test JS
shown in Figure 1. The maximum temperature was c hosen
as a variable, the other parameters such as heatin� and
cooling rates, were maintained c onstant. The maxlID�
temperature was varied in the range of 1100-l350 ° C, with
intervals of 25 °C from test to test. Through direct
measurement of the temperature with a thermocouple
embedded within the samples, an accurate and reproducible
temperature profile simulation was attained.
Experiments were performed in an air atmosphere.
Precise gas composition conditions as occurring on an
industrial sinter strand or during pot sinter te ts, involving
rapid variation in p02 levels as a result of the presence of
coke breeze in the mix, could not be simulated with the
present experimental setup.
For the material, three types of SFCA were selecced out
of a compos1t1on r ange c o r r e p o ndin g t o
Ca5Si2(Fe,Al) 180 36, in which the Al203 content was varied
at the expense of Fez03, as illustrated in Table I.
SFCA# 1 mix results in the formation of binary calcium
Table I Chemical composition of the input ma1enal
Sample Fe203 CaO i02 201

(SFCA[ll) and is a major constituent of supe�uxe� smter. _ mol Wt% mo! wt% mot wt� IIIO wt ,.
mo
1bese ferrites have a limited stability and can d1ssoc1at� � SFCAHl 9 78.2 5 15 3 0
is 2 6.5 0
slag phases and secondary hematite. Second�i:>' hem�tlte
d1sm tegra t1on of 75
known to have a major influence on the SFCAH2 8.5 15.5 2 6.6 0. 2.
e.
sinter upon reduction in the upper stack of the bfas� furnac SFCAH3 8 71.8 5 I 2 6. • .7
that influ ence the sta � 1hty of the
Two of the key variables
d the
SFCA are the alumina content of the raw matenals �
fore, this part
temperature profile on the sinter strand. Ther e
ferrites upon induration, FC • bas an Al,O le vel,
these two theme s .
of the research was centered around . comparable to that found in ferrites from production inter,
gradients
To closely simulate the high temperature and SF A#3 has a comparative!) high 120 le I.
furnace
encountered in the sinter process, a special infrared Following induration, the microstructure oflhe samples
the fu�ce
with a concentrated heat flux in the center of was examined on polished cro sections using reflected
furn. ace, heat ing and c�ohng
was devel oped[21 • With this
. light microscopy. Electron Probe Micro Analy i and image
.
smte .
nng and max unum
rat.es were in the range of mduostnal analy es.
c coul d be attam ed.
temperatures as high as 1450

245