Method for making sponge iron briquettes from fine ore

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for making sponge iron briquettes from fine ore with a maximum grain size of less than 2 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm, wherein hot fine ore is fed to a roller press and is briquetted by the roller press to form sponge iron briquettes. Apart from briquettes, fine ore which is compacted in the spaces of briquette pockets of the roller press, as well as fines in dust form are produced during briquetting. These components are designated as returns and separated from the sponge iron briquettes. The returns are then fed to the fine ferrous ore prior to briquetting. The processing of fine ore has so far entailed great problems in the technical field. The invention suggests that the returns be directly fed to a conveyor system after having been separated from the sponge iron briquettes and that the returns which are still hot be fed by the conveyor system substantially evenly and continuously to the hot fine ore to be still briquetted. The mean particle size of fine ore is here smaller than the mean grain size of the returns. This coarsens the briquetting material, resulting in a selective improvement of the briquetting operation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.