A Comparative Study of the Reduction of Iron Ore Pellets Using Different Reductants: A Statistical Approach

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of wooden dust char (WDC) as a reductant of iron ore. Methods: The reduction of iron orepellet was performed using WDC, non-coking coal and low volatile weakly coking coal as a reductant at temperatures of 900, 950, 1000 and 1000°C and degrees of reduction of pellets were calculated by using the following formula: Results: In WDC, the maximum reduction of iron ore particles, i.e. 89.86%, was obtained within 60min at 1050°C, while 82.16% and 46.52% were obtained for non-coking coal and low volatile coking coal, respectively, under same conditions. Conclusion: Instead of referring to them as wastes, we should rather consider them biomass by products, which allows for a more efficient use of various types of biomass waste. Importantly, the iron and steel industries excel at reasonable utilization that shift the waste material into things of value.