EFFECT OF SERPENTINE ON MECHANICAL STRENGTH AND REDUCIBILITY OF IRON-ORE BRIQUETTES

In the present work, the effect of serpentine addition on mechanical strength and reducibility of iron ores briquettes is investigated. The iron ore used was mixed with the serpentine and a chemical reagent of CaO to adjust the CaO/SiO2 ratio in 0.3 and 1.2. The briquettes were fired at temperatures of 1 523, 1 548, 1 573 and 1 598 K. These briquettes were reduced under an atmosphere at 60%N2/40%CO and 60%N2/20%CO/20%CO2, at temperature of 1 173 and 823 K respectively. From the experimental results, it is concluded that serpentine influences more positively on mechanical strength of briquettes when CaO/SiO2=1.2, at all firing temperatures. It was also observed that serpentine influence on reducibility is not very significant when briquettes are reduced at 1 173 K, but basic briquettes have better reducibility than acid ones at this temperature. At a temperature 823 K, there is not a significant reducibility difference between basic and acid briquettes.