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Mineralogical Aspects of Reducing Lump Iron Ore, Pellets, and Sinter with Hydrogen

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Abstract

Iron ore, pellets, and sinter were reduced with hydrogen at 800 °C to understand the degree of reduction and the mineralogical aspects. The weight loss of goethite and limonite iron ore was noticed to be lower than that of magnetite and hematite varieties. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) indicated 100 pct Fe in the case of hematite, 93 pct in magnetite, 53 pct in goethite, and as low as 15 pct in limonite. The phenomenon of cracking of pellets was not evidenced when reduced with hydrogen whereas cracks were noticed when reduced in 30 pct CO at 950 °C. Finer grains of 10 to 20 μm in the case of lump ore and 40 to 100 μm in the case of pellets were noticed. In the case of sinter, grain size up to 20 to 50 μm was noticed. A maximum Fe up to 96 pct in some locations in pellets and 99 pct in sinter was observed when reduced with hydrogen. Applications of hydrogen/hydrogen-rich gas in the sinter plant and COREX were discussed briefly in this article. A unique zebra pattern of magnetite and silico ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) was observed when hydrogen-rich coke oven gas was injected into the sinter bed. Magnetite formation in sinter was predominant and is attributed to the high diffusion rate of hydrogen.

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Abbreviations

COG:

Coke oven gas

DRI:

Direct reduced iron

EDS:

Energy dispersive spectroscope

EPMA:

Electron probe micro analyzer

FeOOH:

Goethite

FeOOH.H2O:

Limonite

FeO:

Wüstite

Fe2O3 :

Hematite

Fe3O4 :

Magnetite

GUR:

Gas utilization rate

LOI:

Loss on ignition

NTP:

Normal temperature and pressure

QEMSCAN:

Quantitative evaluation of materials by scanning electron microscopy

RDI:

Reduction degradation index

RI:

Reducibility index

SFCA:

Silico ferrite of calcium and aluminum

TI:

Tumbler index

XRD:

X-ray diffractometer

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the teams of R&D QEMSCAN, EPMA, EDS, XRD, and Optical Microscopy Laboratories, QMC High-Temperature Laboratory, and Chemical Laboratory for their support. The authors thank the management of JSW and Birla Institute of Technology & Science for their encouragement and support for this research work.

Author Contributions

Paramesha Bhadravathi contributed the RDI test apparatus used for hydrogen reduction in the QMC Laboratory and conducting the laboratory tests. Ramarao Gujare contributed with QEMSCAN, EPMA, and EDS in the R&D Laboratories for characterization of the samples reduced in hydrogen. Gowthaman Ayyappan contributed with the XRD to detect FeO2 and phase analysis of various samples reduced in hydrogen. Lokendra Raj Singh organized the resources, consented to the study in COREX, supervised the experimental work, and validated the results. He provided resources for installing COG injection system in a sinter plant and helped in optimizing the process parameters. Saroj Sundar Baral supervised the entire work, guided through the manuscript writing and editing, and reviewed the research. Conceptualization, investigation, methodology, experimentation, formal analysis, and manuscript writing were done by the corresponding author, Veera Brahmacharyulu Angalakuditi.

Funding

There has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.

Data Availability

The data generated through experimentation at JSW Steel Ltd., Vijayanagar Works, are presented in this manuscript. We confirm that the data are an outcome of the recent research work. The figures and tables can be accessed with the cross-referenced hyperlinks in the manuscript. The data are available from the corresponding author. Experimental data are not available in any public domain but can be obtained from the corresponding author with permission.

Competing interests

We confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication.

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There are no human and animal data in this manuscript. We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us. We understand that the Corresponding Author is the sole contact for the editorial process (including Editorial Manager and direct communications with the office). He is responsible for communicating with the other authors about progress, submissions of revisions, and final approval of proofs. We confirm that we have provided a current, correct email address that is accessible by the corresponding author and which has been configured to accept emails.

Consent for Publication

This manuscript does not contain any individual/person’s data. We confirm that we have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, concerning intellectual property. In so doing we confirm that we have followed the regulations of our institutions concerning intellectual property. We confirm to publish the data provided in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. JSW Steel Limited, Vijayanagar Works, Bellary, 583275, India

    Veera Brahmacharyulu Angalakuditi, Paramesha Bhadravathi, Ramarao Gujare, Gowthaman Ayyappan & Lokendra Raj Singh

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Goa, 403726, India

    Saroj Sundar Baral

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  1. Veera Brahmacharyulu Angalakuditi
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Correspondence to Veera Brahmacharyulu Angalakuditi.

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Angalakuditi, V.B., Bhadravathi, P., Gujare, R. et al. Mineralogical Aspects of Reducing Lump Iron Ore, Pellets, and Sinter with Hydrogen. Metall Mater Trans B 53, 1036–1065 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-022-02442-4

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