Comparative Study of Pelletization of El-Baharia Iron Ore and Mill Scale Mixture Using Bentonite and Fly Ash as a Binder

Document Type : Original Article

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Central Metallurgical Research & Development Institute

Abstract

The pelletization of iron ore fines requires the use of a binder to improve the mechanical properties of pellets. While bentonite clay is commonly used as a binder, this study explored the potential of using fly ash as an alternative. The study involved pelletizing a 1:1 mixture of El-Baharia iron ore and mill scale using varying percentages (0.5-3%) of both bentonite and fly ash. The resulting pellets were evaluated for their mechanical properties, porosity, and reducibility. The results indicated that pellets containing 2% bentonite exhibited the best overall properties, while those with 2% fly ash showed a similar performance. Both binders improved the pellet strength by up to 2%; however, beyond that, the mechanical properties deteriorated. The compressive strength of the pellets based on fly ash was lower than that of the pellets based on bentonite, despite the higher reducibility. This study suggests that fly ash could be a viable partial replacement for bentonite in the pelletization of iron ore, providing comparable pellet quality while promoting the use of an industrial byproduct.

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