SINTERING PLANT

DEFINITION OF SINTERING

Sintering is a process of agglomeration of fine mineral

particles into a porous and lumpy mass by incipient fusion
caused by heat produced by combustion of solid fuel within
the mass itself.

TYPES OF SINTER

NON FLUX SINTER

FLUXED SINTER
SELF FLUXED SINTER
SUPER FLUXED SINTER

SCHEMATIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE ZONES IN CHARGE DURING SINTERING

ON THE SINTER STRAND

ZONE OF SINTERING
ZON
E

OF

COM
BUS
TIO
ZON
N
EO
F
CHA
ZON
RGE
EO
F DR
ZONE OF
YIN
G
CONDENSATION
OF MOISTURE

Material flow Diagram

Sintering Plant
Waste Material LD Slag, Mill Scale & Flue Dust
Lime Dust
Iron Ore Fines
Flux

-3mm

Flux Screen

Stock Bin &

proportioning
section
-3mm

+3mm

Hammer
Crusher

Sinter
PMD

Hot
screen

M/c

Hot Sinter return

SLC

Cold
screen

Sinter
to BF

-5mm

Cold Sinter return -8mm

Cold Sinter return -5mm

Coke breeze
from C O
Coke breeze
from external
sources

Fuel Storage

Coke crusher

Coke return from B F -25mm

Nut Coke ( 15 -25 mm)

RAW MATERIALS USED FOR SINTERING

1. Iron ore fines
2. Flux ( lime stone & dolomite )
3. Coke breeze
4. Waste Materials:
a). Flue dust ( From Blast Furnace but added in RMHP )
b). Mill scale
( From Slabbing Mill, H.S.M.&CCS)
c). L.D.Slag
(From S.M.S.)
d). Lime dust
( From R.M.P.)
5. Sinter return ( Own generation )
6

MAIN SECTIONS OF SINTERING PLANT

1. RAW MATERIAL SECTION.
( For crushing of coke and flux )
2. STOCK BINS AND PROPORTIONING SECTION
( For storing,proportioning & mixing )
3. SINTER MACHINE SECTION
( For sinter making )

COKE CRUSHING BY FOUR ROLL CRUSHERS

( 08 Nos. CAPACITY 16 T/Hr. EACH )
MIX COKE FROM C.O.
( - 15mm )
(NUT COKE SCREEN)
+ 15 mm TO B.F.
MIXED WITH SINTER
-15 mm TO FUEL
STORAGE

COKE RETURN FROM B.F.

( - 25mm )
- 15 mm

6 mm

2 mm

-3 mm TO STOCK BINS

- 3 mm

FLUX CRUSHING BY HAMMER CRUSHER

( 05 Nos. CAPACITY- 250T/Hr. EACH )
+ 25mm

FLUX FROM RMHP ( + 25 mm )

MOTOR

+ 3m m TO H / Crs

HAMMER CRUSHER

(36 Hammers in each Crs.

in two rows. )

FLUX SCREEN (10 Nos. ) CAPACITY 150T/Hr.EACH

- 3mm TO STOCK BINS

STOCK BINS AND PROPORTIONING SECTION

A. TO STOCK RAW MATERIALS :
There are three similar series of over head bunker and
conveyors to feed three sinter machines at a time. Each series
contains 23 bunkers . Materials are stored in the bunkers in
following order :
BUNKER No.

16
7 13
14 17
18
19 20
21
22 23

TOTAL BUNKER

06
07
04
01
02
01
02

MATERIAL

Iron ore fines

Crushed flux ( - 3 mm )
Crushed coke ( - 3 mm )
Waste materials
Cold sinter return
Hot sinter return
Lime dust
10

B. FIXING OF FEED RATE :

For sending raw mix to sinter machine for sintering, fixation of
feed rate of materials is done considering capacity of the sinter
machine and quality requirement of blast furnace.
Feed rate fixed is :
Iron ore fines
250 T/hr.
Flux
75 T/hr.
( Feeding of Flux depends on available lime in sinter required
in blast furnace.Available lime means CaO SiO2 in sinter.)
Coke
20 T/hr.
Waste materials
20 T/hr.
Sinter return
60 T/hr.
Lime dust
02 T/hr.
11

PROPORTIONING OF CHARGE
O/F

FLUX

COKE

W/M

S/R

L/D

PRIMARY
MIXING
DRUM

ELECTRONIC
CONVEYOR SCALES

ELECTRONIC
FEEDER
VIBRO FEEDER

P. M. D.

A 5
CONV.
TO
S/M -3

A 3
CONV.
TO
S/M -2

A 1
CONV.
TO
S/M -1
12

SINTER MACHINE PROCESS FLOW

RAW MIX

SHAKER GATE

RAW MIX

RAW MIX BUNKERS

ELECTRONIC FEEDERS
WATER

WATER

BALLING DRUMS

SHUTTLE DISTRIBUTOR

CHARGE HOPPER
DRUM
FEEDER

FURNACE

+8mm TO BF

SINTER MACHINE
1
TO EXH.

SINGLE ROLL CRUSHER

25 26
WIND BOXES

MAIN GAS COLLECTOR

DUST POCKETS
(36Nos.)
WATER

TO EXH.

SRC
H/S

-5mm

m
+5m
I NE
L
.
ST

L
C OO

ER

C/S

D/F
D/C
DRUM
COOLER

DISC FEEDER

HOT SCREEN

ERS
W
O
L
ER B
L
O
O
C
COLD SCREEN

-8mm

TO STOCK13
BINS

-5mm TO STOCK BINS (HOT SINTER RETURN)

Sinter Machine Specification for each machine

There are three Sintering machines
Length
- 78 M
No. of pallets - 130
Sintering area 252M2
Bed height - 480mm
Exhauster 02 Nos.
Aspirator 02 Nos.
Cooler Blower- 06 Nos.
Balling Drum - 02 Nos.
Drum Cooler - 01 No.
Straight line Cooler 01 No.
14

CRANES Location & Capacity

Name

Location

Tons

G/Crane

Fuel Storage

10

C/Crane

C/Crane Building

05

H/Crane

H/Crane Building

10

S/B

S/B Tops

05

A1/A2

A1/A2 Area

15

B/Drum

B/Drum Area

50

Exh.

Exh Buld.

50

Sinter Machine

Machine Build.

30

Bay 1,4& 5

ARS

15

Bay 6

ARS

03

MDP

MDP

05

JN 12

S/B Top

15

Other then these 46 nos. of Telphers are also there.

15

WHAT IS
AGGLOMERATION
Agglomeration is defined as the process to prepare
a suitable Blast furnace feed for smooth, proper
and efficient running of the Blast furnace
operation.
The process of agglomeration can be classified as
follows:
i) Briquetting.
ii) Nodulising.
Iii)Vacuum Extrusion process.
iv) Sintering
v) Pelletizing.
16

ADAVANTAGES OF
AGGLOMERATION
Ability to use all kinds of Raw Materials- like iron ore
fines, iron bearing waste products, flue dust, Steel plant
reverts.
It can be produced into any shapes and sizes.
It can be cured to adequate strength suiting Blast
Furnace needs.
Process designed to suitable small batch operations and
large scale operations.
Excellent blast Furnace charge material in place of lump
ore, reduces the cost of smelting of ore, increases Furnace
permeability there by increasing BF productivity and
lowering cost in terms of lower fuel rate.
17

WHAT IS SINTER
Sintering is the process of agglomeration of
iron ore fines into a porous mass by
incipient fusion heat generated within the
mass itself.

18

TYPES OF SINTER

Depending upon weather bases have been incorporated in the Sinter mix,
sinters are divided into three broad classes: (i) Non Fluxed OR ACID SINTERS: - Those where no flux is present or is
added in the ore.

(ii) BASIC SINTER OR Self Fluxing SINTER: - Those where sufficient

flux has been added in the sinter mix to provide a basicity that is desired
in the final slag, taking into consideration only the burden acids. An extra
flux is added to the BF burden, to take care of coke ash acids.
(iii) SUPER BASIC OR SUPER FLUXED SINTER: - In these type of
sinters an additional flux is added to the mix to provide for the desired
final slag basicity, taking into account the acids content of both ore as well
as the coke ash.

19

THE NEED FOR SINTER

(i) To utilize the fines generated during the mining
operation.

(ii) To utilize different additives like mill scale, flue

dust, hearth slag etc. in an integrated steel plant.
(iii) The need for charging prepared burden in Blast
Furnaces to increase productivity and lower fuel rate.

20

ADVANTAGE OF SINTER

i) Agglomeration of fines into hard, strong and irregular porous lumps which gives better bed
permeability.
ii) Elimination of 60 - 70 % of sulphur and Arsenic (if present) during sintering.

iii) Elimination of moisture, hydrated water and other volatiles on the sinter strand with a
cheaper fuel.

iv) Increased the softening temperature and narrowing down of the softening range.

v) As the calculation of flux takes place in sinter strand, super-fluxing saves much more coke
in the furnace.

vi) It increases the Blast Furnace productivity.

viii) Increase of sinter percentage in Blast Furnace burden, increases the permeability, hence
reduction and heating rate or burden increases, so the productivity also.

vii) Lime rich bosh slag hinders reduction of silica, absorbs vaporized silicon and sulphur to
produce low- Si, low-S iron.

ix) Utilization of solid wastes generate within steel works

21

TYPES OF SINTER MAKING

PROCESS
Huntington and
Heberlein Pot Processfpr non-Ferrous metal
Industry.
Batch SinteringGreenwalt Single Pan
Process
Allmanns Ingenoirs
Bryans Multi Pan
Process

Dwight-Lloyd Continuous
Sintering Process
Pelletizing Process- This
consists of sub
operations like
preparation of ore feed,
balling, hardening. Shaft
furnaces are used for
producing small tonnages.
Multiple Shafts handle
larger production level.

22

Huntington & Heberlein Blast roasting Pot

Vacuum Extrusion Process

23

Green walt Single Pan Sinter Machine

Pelletizing Process

24

PRINCIPLE OF THE SINTER

MAKING PROCESS

Iron one sintering is carried out by putting GREEN MIX after Mixing and Nodulizing drum (a
mixture of Base mode with iron ore fines, mixed with flux, coke breeze as a solid fuel, other
additions, sinter return fines, lime, moisture) over a traveling gate in form of permeable bed
and permeable bed.

The top layer of this sinter bed is heated to the sintering temp. (1200C-1300C) inside a Ignition
Hood furnace. In the ignition hood the air is drawn downwards, through the grate with the
help of exhaust blowers (Waste Gas Fan) connected by means of Waste gas main.

The narrow combustion zone developed initially at the top layer by layer to the sintering level.
The cold blast drawn through the bed cools the already sintered layer the thereby gets itself
heated. The heat contained in the blast is utilized in drying and preheating the lower layers in
the bed. In advance of combustion therefore each layer gets dried and preheated by the heat
transferred from the upper combustion zones. The lower portion of the bed absorbs much of
the heat in the gases.

In the combustion zone, bonding takes place between the grains and a strong and porous
aggregate is formed. The process is over when the combustion zone has reached the lowest
layer of the bed. The sinter cake is thus tipped from the grate in hot condition . It is then
broken, cooled in sinter cooler cold sized and sent to the Blast furnace.
25

MECHANISM OF SINTERING
2Fe2O3

Heating

Heating

Cooling

Single
lump

2Fe2O3

2Fe2O3CaO

CaO

at 12000C

CALCIUM FERRITE

2Fe2O3.CaO + Al2O3.SiO2
2Fe2O3

2Fe2O3

2Fe2O3 CaO.Al2O3.SiO2
(SFCA)
SILICO FERRITE OF CALCIUM
AND ALUMINIUM

SLAG BOND
2Fe2O3

26

27

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF A
SINTER PLANT

Raw material receiving and

proportioning system
Mixing and Nodulizingmoisture addition
Charging Station-laying of
Green mix on the strand
Ignition

Sintering Process
Sinter Discharging and Hot
breaking
Cooling of sinter in Sinter
Cooler
Treatment of Sinter in terms
of Cold crushing and sizing.
Conveying to BF stock-house
Dust treatment and Waste
Gas system with Waste Gas
Fan and De-dusting Fan

28

EQUIPMENTS IN SINTER
PLANTS

RAW MATERIAL BINS AND

WEIGH FEEDERS
MIXING AND NODULIZING
DRUM WITH WATER
INJECTION SYSTEM
SURGE BIN-SECTOR GATES
WITH SERVO DRIVES AND
FEED DRUM
IGNITION HOOD FURNACE
WITH BURNERS
SINTER MACHINE-PALLETS
with GRATE BARS
WINDBOXES WITH WASTE
GAS MAIN
SPIKE CRUSHER-WITH CRASH
DECK
DOUBLE ROLL CRUSHER

VIBRATORY COLD SCREEN

FOR HEARTH LAYER
VIBRATORY SCREEN FOR
RETURN FINES
CONVEYORS, RECEIVING
CHUTES AND TRANSFER
CHUTES FOR RAW
MATERIAL AND SINTER
WASTE GAS FAN WITH LCI
DRIVE
DEDUSTING FAN FOR PLANT
DEDUSTING
ESPs
LT and HT DRIVES
PNUEMATIC ACTUATORS &
VALVES
29

SINTER PLANT FACILITIES AT

TATA STEEL
F:\Sinter Plant Facilities at Tata Steel.pdf

30

DIFFERENT UNITS OF SINTER PLANT

RAW MATERIAL BEDDING AND BLENDING PLANT
SINTER PLANT 1
SINTER PLANT 2
RAW MATERIAL BEDDING AND BLENDING ( NEW )
SINTER PLANT 3
31

FUNCTIONS OF RMBB
Stacking of Raw materials
Bedding and Blending of various raw
materials and other constituents of Sinter
mix through proportioning
Homogenizing the mix components for
achieving consistent Sinter chemistry
32

R.M.B.B.PLANT LAYOUT
TGH
T/H

WAGON

C/S

COKE SCREEN

P
R
O
P

Ret. Sinter fines From G.Fce.

B
U
I
L
D
I
N
G

ROD MILLS
H/M

FLUX
SCEEN

CRUSHER

TBS#2

L
S
F

SP1/SP2
WOB#2

B/R (L&T)

B/R
(ELECON)

I
O
F

TBS#1

D
U
N

P
Y
R
WOB#1

R
P
D
F
Ld
Slg.

33

Material Flow at Sinter Plant

34

SINTER PLANT
Raw
Materials

Return Fines

Lime
Dust
Wate
r

Proportioning
Bins

Hot Air

Hearth
Layer

Combustion Air

Spike
Crusher

Cooler Fan

Ignition Hood
SINTER
STORAGE

Sinter
Cooler

Sinter
Machine

Waste Gas
Esp.

BF HIGH
LINE

Segregati
on
Chute

Mix
er
Waste Gas
Fan

Cold
screen

Hot Return
Fines

Doubl
e
Roll
Crusher

Sinter
Screening

Cold Return
Fines

Hearth
Layer

35

OVER VIEW OF SP#3-a typical DWL Sinter

Machine

36

PROGRESS OF SINTERING

WIND BOX
SUCTION MAIN
WASTE GAS FAN

COMBUSTION JONE
GREEN MIX
SINTER

37

FEDDING SYSTEM
SHUTTLE CONVEYOR
GREEN MIX

GREEN-MIX
BIN

THERMO-VISION
CAMERA

HEARTH
LAYER
BIN

FLAP
GATES
LEVEL SENSOR

BED
HEIGHT

HEARTH LAYER

FEED ROLL
CUT-OFF
PROBES

PLATE

IGNITION
HOOD

HEAT TREAT
MENT HOOD

38


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

QUALITY ASPECT OF SINTERWITH RESPECT TO BLAST

FURNACES PERFORMANCE

CHEMICAL
Fe% in Sinter
CaO % in Sinter
SiO2 % in Sinter
MgO% in Sinter
Al2O3 % in Sinter
FeO % in Sinter
K2O % in Sinter

PHYSICAL
1. SINTER SIZE
ANALYSIS in terms of
Cum+10mm and -5mm
2. TUMBLER INDEX
3. SHATTER INDEX
4. RDI (Reducibility
Degradation Index)
5. RI (Reducibility Index)
6. Softening and Melting
Test (S-M)
39

FACTORS AFFECTING SINTER

QUALITY
(1) Size of The Charge Mix: The
strength of sinter is directly related to the size

distribution of the charge mix. If size is large, the contact area will be less and the
strength of the sinter will be low and conversely if size is too small the contact area of
particles will be large and the strength will be high.
Ideal size of ore Fines -10 mm to + 100 mesh
Coke breeze -3.2 mm 85%
Flux - - 3.2 mm 85%
(2) Fuel content: - Variation in Fuel content in Charge Mix affect the peak Temperature
attained during sintering, the combustion zone will not be uniform leading to poor bed
permeability, This increases return fines generation

(3) Moisture: - The presence of moisture in the Charge mix has several advantages. It
maintains proper permeability in the bed during sintering. This is beneficial from the
point of view of heat transfer during sintering.
(4) Re-circulating load or Return fines addition: - For higher output of the sinter strand
the circulating load should be low. A low circulating load however, reduces the
permeability of the bed. An optimum-circulating load is established for maximum output
of the acceptable sinter to the Blast Furnaces.

40

Parameters Controlling Sintering

Process
Fuel content for heat input

Waste Gas Temperature

Ignition intensity- Temperature

of Ignition Hood Furnace

Sintering Temperature or
Burn through Temperature

Moisture content of mix to

control its permeability.

Pressure drop across the

Sinter Bed- Main Suction

Machine speed control to

obtain complete Burn through

Bed Height

Return Fines Addition

Calcined Lime addition- to

improve bed Permeability.
41

IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE OF
SINTER PLANTS
BY
INTENSIFICATION OF SINTERING
PROCESS

By
Dr M T Raju
Deputy General Manager
RDCIS
SAIL
42

 Managing the existing technologies to reach

designed/rated performance
Incorporation of innovations to surpass rated
capacity

43

Reaching rated capacity:

1. MEN (WOMEN)
2. MATERIAL
3. MONEY
4. MINUTES

44

Surpassing rated capacity:

Creative (Innovative) solutions can only
enable to surpass.
Five elements of creativity.
1. FLUENCY
2. FLEXIBILITY
3. ORIGINALITY
4. AWARENESS
5. DRIVE
45

Creative (Innovative) solutions

are possible by
LATERAL THINKING

46

INTENSIFICATION OF SINTERING
PROCESS
Sinter as a prepared burden material
continues to hold its prominent position in
world due to its very good metallurgical
properties such as tumbling strength,
reduction degradation index, reducibility
index, high softening temperature and low
range of softening range

47

PRINCIPAL STEPS OF IRON ORE

SINTERING TECHNOLOGY
The iron ore fines , lime stone fines, dolomite
fines, lime dust, metallurgical wastes and coke
breeze are proportioned based on charge
calculations.
Then this mix is mixed and balled in mixing and
balling drums with the addition of water and then
loaded onto the pallet.
The sinter mix undergoes ignition as well as
suction is applied under the bed.
The top layer gets ignited and sintering proceeds
down wards till the end .
The hot sinter is screened and crushed.
The hot sinter is then cooled on a cooler
The cooled sinter is screened to remove -5mm
fraction and then transported to blast furnace. 48

Need of Intensification of sintering

process
Why?
Intensification of sintering process is required
to enhance the production capacity of existing
sinter machines.
How?
Without sacrificing the quality aspects.

49

What is meant by intensification?

Accelerating sintering process for achieving higher
production without deterioration in quality.
Production = k*A*B*V*Y
k = Constant
A = Sintering Area
B = Bulk Density of mix
V = Vertical sintering speed
Y = Yield
50

Methodology of Intensification of
sintering process
Factors that influence sintering
1) MEN
2) MATERIALS
3) PROCESS PARAMETERS.

51

MATERIALS
1) Iron ore fines size
2) Iron ore fines chemistry
3) Coke breeze
4) Calcined Lime

52

GRANULOMETRY OF IRON ORE FINES

.
The granulometry of iron ore fines, used in
sintering, has a great influence on sinter plant
performance.
Laboratory Experiments were conducted with
different granulometry of iron ore fines to assess its
influence on sinter quality and productivity.
The upper size of the iron ore fines was reduced in
each of the experiments.

53

EFFECT OF IRON ORE FINES SIZE ON

SINTERING
Sl.No

Size

Lime

%yield

VSS

Prod.

T.I

(mm)

(Kg/t)

(+5mm)

mm/min t/m2/h

0-15

0.0

70.6

18.6

1.182

69.3

0-8

0.0

76.5

19.6

1.272

68.3

0-8

20.0

75.6

20.1

1.326

67.2

0-6

20.0

80.3

20.3

1.418

67.3

0-5

20.0

81.0

21.6

1.489

66.7
54

Chemical Quality
EFFECT OF TOTAL Fe
Results show that lower Fe grade (< 62% Fe) ores and
concentrates will typically form SFCA (SiO2-Fe2O3CaO-Al2O3) as part of the final assemblage.
Medium grade (62-65% Fe) ores will form a mixture of
SFCA and SFCA-1..
High grade (65-68% Fe) ores will form largely SFCA-1.
The SFCA-1 phase is the most desirable bonding phase in
iron ore sinter, since microstructures composed entirely of
SFCA-1 show higher physical strength and higher
reducibility than microstructures composed predominantly
of SFCA
55

LOSS ON IGNITION
The higher LOI of iron ore fines has a detrimental
effect on sinter quality and productivity
EFFECT OF Al2O3
An increase in Al2O3 % by 1 % increases the RDI
value by 10%
EFFECT OF SiO2
Higher SiO2 in sinter will induce the formation of
glassy phases in sinter and reduce the strength of
sinter.

56

COKE BREEZE SIZE

The required coke breeze granulometry for
efficient sintering is:
+5 mm < 5 %
- 3 mm = 85-90 %
-0.5 mm < 15 %
Presence of higher % of +5 mm slows down the
coke breeze burning rate and thus reducing
sintering rate.
For reducing the micro-fines generation during
crushing, -3 mm should be screened out before
the crusher.
57

CALCINED LIME
Calcined lime is one of the best intensifier of
sintering process
Preheats the sinter mix
Enhances balling phenomena
Replaces raw lime stone
Calcined lime addition @ 20kg/t was found to be
optimum for SAIL sinter plants.

58

PROCESS PARAMETERS
Mixing and Balling
Segregation of mix
Moisture
Ignition
Under-grate Suction
Preheating of sinter mix
Use of hot air in ignition hood
cooling
59

MIXING AND BALLING REGIMES

Generally most of the sinter plants are provided
with separate mixing and balling drums. But the
latest generation of sinter plants are provided with
a combined mixing and balling drums.
The main purpose of mixing drum is to
homogenize the sinter mix . The diameter of the
drum , the RPM and the space factor play a major
role in achieving higher degree of mixing.

60

The balling drum (Nodulising drum) ensures that

fines are coated on the nuclei particles, thus
produce higher size balls. This facilitates in
improving the mean size of sinter mix and hence
the permeability of mix. Here again the diameter ,
RPM and space factor play a major role in
achieving higher degree of balling.
Very little water is added in mixing drum and
major quantity of water is added in the balling
drum
The amount of water added and the method of
water addition in the balling drum also control the
degree of balling and hence the permeability of
sinter mix.
61

Laboratory
model of high speed agitating mixer

Lab study at RDCIS showed improvement of strength

62
index with reference to conventional mixer

MOISTURE
As is known, faster the rate of air flow through
the bed faster is the rate of sintering.
The rate of flow of the air through the bed is
controlled by the vacuum under the bed and the
permeability of the bed.

63

SUCTION UNDER-GRATE
The rate of flow of the air through the bed is
controlled by the vacuum under the bed and the
permeability of the bed.
The optimization of the gas dynamics parameters of
the sinter machines enables one to achieve higher
under grate suction and thus substantial
improvements in the techno-economic parameters of
the sinter production.

64

IMPROVING IN SM PRODUCTVITY PER 10 mmwc AS

A FUNCTION OF SUCTION UNDER GRATE
IN
C
R
E
A
SI
N
G
IN
P
R
O
D
U
C
TI
VI
T
Y,

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6
0.4
500 600 700 800 900 1000 110 1200 1300 1400 1500
SUCTION, mmwc

65

IGNITION
To provide the required free oxygen potential in the
zones for faster burning of the fuel and also early
starting of sintering.
Oxygen enrichment in ignition hood
To produce a strong sinter in the upper part of the
layer;

66

PRE-HEATING OF SINTER MIX

Pre-heating of sinter mix helps in reducing the ill effects
of Re-condensation of moisture
Pre-heating of sinter mix can be done by:
* Addition of hot water in balling drum
* Addition of steam in balling drum or raw mix hopper
* Installing gas burners inside the balling drum
* Adding hot return fines
* Addition of calcined lime

67

HOT AIR IN IGNITION HOOD

Hot air recovered from sinter cooler could be used in
the ignition hood.
This will help in not only saving gaseous fuel, but also
increases the free oxygen potential.

68

COOLING OF SINTER
Efficient cooling of sinter will help in improving sinter
strength
Installation of proper waste heat recovery system of
cooler will help in adding hot air in ignition hood

69

Rate

Coke

Size

Ignition

BTP
Temp

Sinter Quality

Temp

Top layer

Free O2
Potential

Starting of
sintering

Rate

Water

Balling

Method of
Addition

Under grate
suction

Productivity

Permeability
Re-condensation

Under
Ignition hood

Rest of
machine

70

RECENT TRENDS OF INTENSIFICATION OF

SINTERING

High Fe, low Al2O3 iron ore fines

Serpentine replacing dolomite
Good quality and quantity of lime addition
High Intensity mixer
Divided coke addition
Polymer addition in balling drum
Pre-heating of sinter mix
New sinter mix charging system
New ignition furnaces
Taller bed operation
Higher under grate suction
Taller bed circular coolers
Process control models

71

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