SINTERING PROCESS
JANAK KUMAR
Advantages
• The fines that cannot be used directly in the blast furnace are
either sintered or pelletized.
• Addition of fluxes into the agglomerates, further improved the
blast furnace operation , because of pre-calcination of the flux. (
see , ‘ decomposition of carbonates ’ in ‘ BF reactions – part 2 ’ ) .
• And also, it often improves the reduction rate of the agglomerate
and helps to prevent the formation of low melting iron silicates.
• This keeps the agglomerate frommelting before it has been
• sufficiently reduced to metallic iron. For this reason that, addition
of fluxes into agglomerates permits the use of higher
• flame temperature and improves fuel efficiency in the blast furnace.
Dwight-Lloyed sintreing machine
Sintering of iron ore fines is now Universily carried out on
travelling grate machines forming a closed loop. The design
of an endless band of pallets moving over static wind
boxes.
The raw materials are loaded at one end of the machine
and the top layer is ignited as it immediately comes under
a fixed ignition hood. As the pallets move the ignited
portions come over a series of stationery wind boxes
connected to an exhausted blower.
Sintering of the charge is completed by the time the pallet
travels over nearly the whole useful length of the machine
During Sintering on a static bed various zones are formed shown
in the figure. Each layer below ignited top layer Undergoes
changes in the order wet ore drawing calcination preheating
combustion cooling
The chemical composition changes gradually across the various
zones
Two types of bonds may be formed during Sintering
1. Diffusion or recrysalisation or solid state bond
it is formed as a result of rectilisation of the parent phase at the
point of contact of two particles in solid state.
2. Slag or glass bond
It is formed as a result of formation of low melting slag or glass
at the point of contact of two particles depending upon the
mineral constituents flux addition etc
Easy result this entering can have three different types of constituents
1. Original mineral which has not undergone any chemical or
physical changes during Sintering.
2. Original mineral constituents which have undergone changes in
their physical structure without any changes in their chemistry.
Rick’s relation is the only change at some of the particle surface
3. Secondary constituents formed due to dissolution or reaction
between two or more of the original constituents that is
formation of ferrites, spinal, silicate etc
the more is the slag bonding stronger is the sinter but with lease
reducibility and more is the diffusion bonding more is the reducibility
but lace is the strength
Storage beans mixer and feeder
Raw materials like iron orefines cokebridge reclaimed flue
dust flux etc are generally used for sintering. These material
are stored in separate overhead beans from where weighted
amount of raw material are deliver to the mixer.
The calculated amount of water is mixed in the mixture To
prepare desired homogeneous feed sintering. The mixture is
a tromel or a drum fitted with peddles.
After initial mixing the most charge is rolled in a drum to
nodalise the fines this homogenise the particle size so that
the permeability of sinter bed is increases
Feeder
The ready mix is lead eventually across the whole width of
the pallet with minimum compacting. It is necessary to have
a continuous uninterrupted flow of the charge on the pallet
when machine runs for this purpose role feeder is used
Pallet
The pallet has to support the mix during its travel from the
feed end to discharge end it must also stand high
temperature developed during Sintering without in anyway
bending or getting damaged whilst maintaining and efficient
seal with the stationary wind boxes.
The grate bars laid at the bottom of the palette should
provide maximum opening without allowing excessive fine
material being pulled through into the wind box during
suction. The aperture in the grate can be maximum 6 mm to
avoid excessive dust losses.
The side wall of the palate have a maximum depth of about
600 mm. It tapers outward to ensure free fall of the centre
cake.
Since the pallets move over static wind box the pallet must
always insure le proof with the wind boxes in the
longitudinal direction.
Drive mechanism
The palates move from the feed end to discharge end on the
upper rail track after discharging the sinter cake return back
to the feed end in overhang fashion on the lower rail track.
The drive mechanism is expected to effect smooth change
over of there movement from lower to upper rail and vice
versa
Ignition hood
If proper ignition of the top layer is not achieved both output
and quality of centre will suffer adversely
Two main type of ignition hood is used
Combustion chamber type
Two burners are located on the discharge half side of the hood
hands the heating takes place partly directly and partly by the
radiation from the roof.
Nozzle or torch type
Two or more row of burners are fitted into the hood over the
entire width of the pallet to obtain ignition time of nearly a
minute
Proper ignition depends on the nature amount and
distribution of solid fuel in the mix. Since cost of the solid
fuel can amount of nearly 50% of the total cost of sinter
production attempts are always made to decrease the Coke
bridge consumption.
To reduce the Coke bridge consumption double ignition hood
is used the main part of the hood ignites the top layer as
usual and a series of gas fired burner are fitted in the hood
extending over a substantial length of the stand to provide
additional heat
Crushing & Product handling
Because of the straight line movement of the pallets from the ignition
to the discharge end the sinter cake is practically a whole piece.
This sintercake breaks in slab of nearly the same dimension is that of
the pallet.
These Big piece slide away from the pallet on the crash deck and the
centre breaker. The sinter breaker has a series of prongs or claws
mounted on a shaft and these pass between fixed breaker bars.
This sinter is broken crushed screen and the oversize cooled fully so
that it could be carried to the blast furnace and under size is sent back
for sinter making
Wast gas system
Depending up on the thickness of the bed and quality of the feed
ignition condition amount and quality of fuel incorporated in the
mix and exhaust blower of suitable size is provided With the
Machine.
On a modern large unit the fan suction capacity maybe of the
order of 40- 500 M3/sec
The wast gas system mainly included the downcomers the dust
Hopper the waste gas main the dust extractor the exhaust
blower and finally the chimney.
The entire design should ensure as f possible
1. Uniform section across the width of the machine
2.Collection of dust and charge particle falling through the
grate in dust Hopper itself
3. Low velocity of waste gas to keep down abrasion due to
dust Laden gases
4.Control on section of individual win box
5.Minimum distortion due to thermal expansion
Three different types of sinter are being produced depending
upon the extent of addition of flux in the mix
1. Acid sinter – this sinter mix does not content flux at all
flux is added in the Furnace separately.
2. Fluxed sinter – the amount of flux added in the mix in
such that the basicity of the mix is equal to that of the
slag to be produced in the furnace. Separate addition of
flux would be required only in proportion to the amount
of natural lumpy ore charged in the Furnace.
3. Superfluxed sinter – the entire amount of flux required to
be otherwise charged in the Furnace when run on 100%
natural or charged is added in the mix.
Thank you
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