A study on the effect of coke particle size on the thermal profile of the sinters produced in Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO)
A Dabbagh, A Heidary Moghadam, S Naderi, M Hamdi
The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of coke particle
size on the thermal profile of the charge bed in the sintering process
of iron ore. Six different ranges of coke particle size that could be
used in practice in the sintering line of Esfahan Steel Company
(ESCO) were used while parameters such as ratios and particle sizes
of other ingredients, ignition temperature, and suction power were
kept constant. Thermal profiles were obtained by measuring the
temperature changes at three points in the sintering bed. The
influence of coke particle size on rate of temperature rise, maximum
temperature of the sintering bed, and the flame front velocity of the
sintering bed was determined by analysing the thermal profiles.
Moreover, the cold strengths of the sinters were measured using the
Tumbler method. The results indicated that the coke particle size has
a significant impact on the thermal properties of the sintering bed.
Based on the results, a coke particle size between 0.212 mm and
3.350 mm was determined as the optimal range for the specific
conditions in the sintering line of ESCO.
Keywords: iron ore sintering, coke particle size, thermal profile, flame front
velocity, Tumbler index.