Processing of Ferro-Alloy Fines for Value Addition through Agglomeration Technology

Abstract

Ferro-alloys are manufactured through a melting and solidification technique and then crushed into solidified cakes at various sizes as per customer requirements. As an inevitable side-effect, undesirable fines are generated during the size reduction process. This has much less demand thus causing huge amounts of solid waste generation.

A range of different batch compositions were designed using different binders and alumino-silicate plasticizer with Ferro-alloy fines (0–3 mm). These were mixed in a laboratory counter-current mixer and then briquetted with a laboratory briquetting machine. The formed briquettes were also cured as per the nature of the binders for 24 h. The Shatter Index test and Crushing Strength test were carried out on the briquettes. After conducting tests at the RDCIS Laboratory, we found that the optimum strength was obtained by briquettes made with Portland cement and an alumino-silicate plasticizer.