A.

Majumder
JG Rao
YVR Srinivas
Sujoy Mukherjee
 Sinter- Introduction

 Sinter- As process

 Optimization of coke feed

 Advantages
 Sintering is the process of agglomeration of
fine ore particles into porous mass due to
incipient fusion caused by the combustion
of fuel present within the mass.
Meaning - INCIPIENT
 in.cip.i.ent :
In an initial stage;
beginning to happen
or develop.
 Its due to the Surface tension phenomena

Sintering on a microscopic scale:

(1) particle bonding is initiated

at contact points;
(2) contact points grow into
necks;
(3) the pores between particles
are reduced in size; and
(4) grain boundaries develop
between particles in place of
the necked regions
 Heat transfer from combustion zone to the cold
charge by flowing gases under the influence of
suction pressure.
 Evaporation of moisture in the charge and drying-
up to 400˚C.
 Preheating of the charge and calcination of flux
materials-up to 900 ˚C.
 Spontaneous combustion of coke, on preheating
the charge to 1000 ˚C.
 Melting of adherent particles and partial
assimilation of iron ore surface – temperature
reaches 1200-1350 ˚C.
 C + O2 = CO2 ; C + CO2= 2 CO
 CaCO3 → CaO + CO2
 CaMg(CO3)2 → CaO + MgO + 2CO2
 4 FeS2 + 11 O2 = 2 Fe2O3 + 8 SO2
 3 Fe2O3 + CO = 2 Fe3O4 + CO2
 Fe3O4 + CO = 3 FeO + CO2
Base mix:
1.Iron ore fines (60-70%)
2.Limestone (7-8%)
3.Dolomite (7-8%)
4.Coke breeze (4-5%) → Fuel
5.Metallurgical waste (10-15%)
Before:

•Due to various reasons, process at sinter making stage at

Vizag steel was getting disturbed.

•Coke was needed to be added or diluted externally on

regular basis.

•Loss in base mix production.

•Difficult for smooth production of sinter.

Now:
•Mathematical model, considering material and heat
balance of raw materials used for making base mix, was
developed to take care of the inconsistency of coke
addition in the base mix bed.

•Tool for Sinter plant for optimization of coke feed in base

mix.
• The entire chemistry of the sinter plays a crucial role in
determining the efficiency of the process.

The feed rate of individual raw material was taken so as to get the
desired sinter chemistry:
CaO – SiO2 = 3.5%
Al203 / SiO2 < 0.4
MgO < 2%
MnO < 0.1%

• 2 main methods:
1. Mass Balance Method.
2. Energy Balance Method.
 Mass balance and energy balance result are used together to obtain
the total of the energy exchanged in the process.

1. Feed rate of raw materials was obtained from mass balance sheet

2. Enthalpy exchanged for each raw material feed was calculated and
obtained from energy balance sheet

And then total energy exchange (liberated/absorbed) was calculated

for the feed as:

HEAT EXCHANGE(DURING A REACTION)(Kcal) = FEED RATE(Ton)* (Kcal/Ton)

Coke Optimization Program
 T.Fe CaO MgO SiO2 Al2O3 MnO TiO2 P2O5 C S LOI

SINTER 56.71 8.94 2.16 5.51 2.08 0.17 0.13 0.14 0.00 0.00 0.00

CaO - Al2O3 Energy

SiO2
3.43
/SiO2
0.38 Basicity 1.62
RATIO 9.63

Desired range of Energy Ratio is between 8 to 10

No coke correction required

Spreading not required
SITUATION BEFORE COKE OPTIMISATION

SMPP COKE Energy Ratio Spreading

0.00 18.00 Iof 15
0.00 20.25 Iof 15
0.00 20.52 Iof 15
0.00 9.95 no spreading
0.00 28.38 Iof 20
0.00 31.02 Iof 20
0.00 30.45 Iof 20
0.00 26.44 Iof 20
2.00 -13.04 Coke spreaded
1.00 -2.07 Coke spreaded
0.00 9.40 no spreading
3.50 0.92 Addition of Coke
2.00 3.71 Addition of Coke
2.00 4.48 Addition of Coke
SITUATION AFTER COKE OPTIMISATION
SMPP COKE Energy Ratio Spreading
0.00 9.15 no spreading
0.00 9.28 no spreading
0.00 9.85 no spreading
0.00 9.95 no spreading
0.00 9.01 no spreading
0.00 10.10 no spreading
0.00 8.80 no spreading
0.00 8.90 no spreading
1.00 8.50 no spreading
2.00 7.90 no spreading
0.00 9.40 no spreading
2.00 7.80 no spreading
2.00 7.95 no spreading
0.00 9.50 no spreading
0.00 9.20 no spreading
• The frequency of addition/dilution of coke feed was drastically
reduced.

• Correction time reduced which translated in to higher base mix

production.

• Improved process control.

• Formation of stickers and hot sinter drastically reduced.

• Financial benefits.
• 55-65 kg of coke per ton of sinter was fed during sintering process
in RINL plant

• After implementation of this model, average external coke

breeze addition decreased to 50 kg per ton of charge of sinter.

• There has been a tremendous improvement in optimizing the

coke with the help of mathematical model.