STUDY OF MOISTURE TRANSFER DURING THE STRAND SINTERING PROCESS

Moisture transfer during the strand sintering operation was studied both experimentally and using a mathematical model. The drying of iron ore pellets was found to occur in two distinct periods: one at a constant drying rate and the other at a decreasing drying rate, whereas the drying of zinc ore pellets always occurs at a decreasing drying rate. Characteristic drying curves were determined for both materials. The moisture transfer mechanisms during the sintering process were demonstrated in detail, including the recondensation of water in the cold layers of the bed and the formation of an inert, overmoistened zone. The mathematical model presented simulates all of these phenomena and is used to calculate the variables related to moisture transfer. The model is adaptable to other processes where a hot gas passes through a moist packed bed. © 1990 The Minerals, Metals & Material Society.