Title

PLATE WATER ABSORPTION METHOD FOR BENTONITE EVALUATION AND ITS RELEVANCE TO IRON PELLETIZING PERFORMANCE

PLATE WATER ABSORPTION METHOD FOR BENTONITE EVALUATION AND ITS RELEVANCE TO IRON PELLETIZING PERFORMANCE

Authorship

Karidakis, Theodore

DOI

10.5151/2594-357x-0045

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Abstract

Quality of bentonite as a binder is assessed by a variety of laboratory methods. However, the identification of significant correlations between bentonite properties and pelletizing performance has not been possible so far due to the large complexity of interactions between bentonite and iron ore properties. In this article, the suitability and the constraints of plate water absorption method for bentonite characterization as a binder in iron pelletizing was investigated, based on an empirical approach with the use of statistical design and analysis of experiments. Pelletizing performance of two different iron concentrates with three bentonite qualities, differing in their water absorption capacity, measured by the plate method, was studied. It was found that the effect of plate strongly depends on the iron concentrate. Plate water absorption was also considerably affected by hardness of water in the concentrate and conditions of bentonite grinding. Quality assessment of bentonite should, therefore, include not only conventional plate value measurement but also a good estimation of bentonite resistance to water hardness and to the relatively harsh conditions during drying and grinding.

 

Quality of bentonite as a binder is assessed by a variety of laboratory methods. However, the identification of significant correlations between bentonite properties and pelletizing performance has not been possible so far due to the large complexity of interactions between bentonite and iron ore properties. In this article, the suitability and the constraints of plate water absorption method for bentonite characterization as a binder in iron pelletizing was investigated, based on an empirical approach with the use of statistical design and analysis of experiments. Pelletizing performance of two different iron concentrates with three bentonite qualities, differing in their water absorption capacity, measured by the plate method, was studied. It was found that the effect of plate strongly depends on the iron concentrate. Plate water absorption was also considerably affected by hardness of water in the concentrate and conditions of bentonite grinding. Quality assessment of bentonite should, therefore, include not only conventional plate value measurement but also a good estimation of bentonite resistance to water hardness and to the relatively harsh conditions during drying and grinding.

Keywords

Bentonite; Pelletizing; Plate method.

Bentonite; Pelletizing; Plate method.