Iron ore pellets are hardened, small spheres with a maximum diameter of about 20mm. They are mostly used as raw materials in iron/steel manufacturing industries such as Sree Metaliks. Pelletizing, as a process, was introduced to the world only post WWII. There was a scarcity of high-grade natural iron ore in the US. Therefore, there was a need to utilize low-grade iron, and this introduced the process of pelletization.
Additionally, pellets are used to feed the blast furnaces and direct reduced iron-producing units. Did you know that globally on average 62% of iron ore is converted to pellets to produce steel? And because the high-grade ore reserves are depleting there is an increase in the adoption of pellets — to use fine ore or low-grade ore. In the year 2000, the use of pellets increased in Asian countries as well.
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Some reasons how iron ore pellets are useful
Below is a list of benefits that iron ore pellets manufacturers swear by. This should give you an idea of how advantages of producing them or having them in stock. Expert iron pellets manufacturers in India will tell you that pellets are the best feed for making iron because of optimized fuel consumption and a host of other benefits:- Using an increased proportion of pellets grants a higher yield to the steel produced due to the iron content
- Using pellets enhances the levels of productivity by 15-20 per cent. Their spherical shape, uniform quality, and porosity enables the same
- Using pellets gives high metallization rates and thereby reduces fuel consumption and time to reduce iron oxide — this is due to their low gangue content
- Using pellets also means significant savings in energy consumption because of their low silica content
- Using pellets reduces the emission of poisonous gases and particulate matter, which is good for the environment. It also cuts down on waste management expenses
All about iron ore pellets manufacturing
Take it from the best iron ore pellets manufacturers in India, iron ore pelletizing process contains the following steps:- The first step is where fine iron ore, additives, and binders are prepared on the basis the particle size, and chemical specifications — blended with other substances and mixed all together and fed into a pelletizing process
- Then comes the balling process, where the green pellet is obtained under a strict temperature-controlled environment. It comes in a spherical shape with a maximum diameter of 16mm
- Finally arrives the induration process where green pellets are hardened in a high-temperature process. Here, the physical and metallurgical requirements for transportation and final application are realized
The Guide To Iron Ore Pelletizing