Agglomerating Processes

1.3.1 Purpose

Agglomerating Processes are used to bond finely divided particles into

larger coarser lump material. This is particular necessary if the concentrate is
to be used in a shaft or retort reactor, e. g. iron, lead, lead-zinc blast furnaces;
electrothermic zinc shaft furnaces; vertical zinc retort furnaces.
The purpose of agglomeration is to achieve one or several of the
following objectives:
a) To form mass of material that has desirable strength properties: e. g.
in a shaft reactor the charge must move through the furnace to the
reaction zone without excessive breakup and production of fines It
must maintain its structural integrity under the weight of the burden
of charge above it.

b) To form a mass of material that has controlled porosity, e. g., in a

blast furnace the charge moves countercurrent to the flow of the
reducing gas. Reduction depends upon good contact between the
solids and the gas. Therefore, a charge material that has high gas
permeability is desired.

c) To premix constituent reactants and fluxes into a intimate composite

for subsequent reaction, e. g., in the preparation of charge material
for the New Jersey zinc vertical retort process, an agglomerate of
zinc oxide and carbon is produced. The intimate mixture of the two
reactants, when treated in the vertical retort, promotes faster rates
of reduction.

d) To alter chemical composition, e. g., to convert sulfide to oxide.

1.3.2 Agglomerating Systems.

There are four principal types of agglomerating treatments: sintering,

pelletizing, nodulizing, and briquetting.

1.3.2.1 Sintering

Sintering is the agglomerating process most widely used for preparation

of feed material for the iron blast furnace, for the lead blast furnace, and for
the zinc reduction furnaces. It is a treatment to produce a porous clinker type
product from premixed finely divided concentrate particles, fluxes, recycled
sinter, and for oxide concentrates, a fuel. Two types of sintering processes will
be briefly discussed, i. e., oxide concentrate sintering and sulfide concentrate
sintering.
 Oxide Sintering

In sintering oxide concentrates, a fuel must be added to the oxide

mixture so that when it is burned it will produce the heat necessary to promote
the agglomerating process. Iron oxide sintering is an example of this process.
Iron oxide concentrates are premixed with finely divided coal, flux materials,
and recycle sinter. Intimate premixing is necessary and is accomplished in a
balling drums or disc-pelletizers. The products are small (1/16 to 1/8 inch)
balls.

The premixed material is fed onto a moving grate in a downdraft sinter

machine. A continuous conveyer moves the feed under a flame which ignites
the fuel. The burning material moves through a hooded system where it is
exposed to a draft that pulls air down through the moving bed. This causes
burning from the top of the bed downward through the moving bed. The
forced-air combustion produces temperatures high enough to cause
agglomeration.

Partial fusion occurs as the material is transported through the hot zone,
and agglomeration is complete by the time the grate pallet begins its return
circuit. The hot sinter product is dumped onto conveyors which usually carry it
to rotary kiln coolers.

Zinc calcine (roasted zinc sulphide concentrates) sintering is a second

example of oxide sintering. The procedure and equipment are similar to those
used in the iron oxide sintering process.

Sulfide Sintering

The sintering of sulfide concentrates is autogenous; no additive fuel is

necessary, i. e., sulfur within the charge material is the fuel. An example of
sulfide agglomeration is lead sulfide sintering.

The sintering of lead sulfide concentrates is actually a roasting and

agglomerating process. Lead sulfide is oxidized, PbO and PbSO4 are formed,
heat is released and a hard, porous clinker material suitable for the blast
furnace is produced.

Temperatures reach about 1000C and are controlled by limiting the

sulphur content in the sinter mix. The sulphur content is controlled by dilution
with fluxes and recycle sinter.

Premixing of constituents before sintering is important and is normally

accomplished in equipment similar to that described for iron oxide sinter
premixing.
 The sulfide sintering equipment is similar to oxide sintering equipment.
However, all the lead smelters in The United States, except one, use an
updraft sintering machine instead of the downdraft system used for oxide
sintering. The advantages of the updraft equipment for lead sintering are listed
in the reprint.

The product discharged from the sinter machine normally contains

approximately 25-55% lead and 1-1.75% sulphur.

1.3.2.2 Pelletizing

Pelletizing is an agglomeration process that involves first the preparation

of pellets from finely divided particles, and then high temperature firing to
produce a hard, strong product, usually 3/8 inch to 1 inch in diameter.
Pelletizing is normally distinguished from balling (the preparation of feed for
the sintering operation) on the basis of the product size, i. e., balling produces
sizes of less than 1/8 inch material while pelletizing produces larger sizes.
However, both products are produced in similar equipment, drum rollers or
rotating disc pelletizers.

The rolled pellets are formed at room temperature. Fuel may be mixed
with the concentrate, or it may b e applied to the pellet surface. The pellets are
then fired at high temperatures to promote the agglomeration process. The
firing may be performed in travelling-grate, updraft or downdraft equipment;
in shaft furnaces; or in grate-kiln furnaces. These systems are discussed in the
US Steel reprint article and in the text.

The pelletizing process offers several advantages as a means of

preparing feed material for use in blast furnaces. A product of uniform and
controllable size can be formed and the mechanical properties can be
controlled. Very fine, minus 325 mesh, particles can be effectively
agglomerated.

1.3.2.3 Nodulizng

Nodulizing is an agglomeration process performed by introduction of

fines particles of material into a rotary drum. The process of drum balling is
sometimes called nodulizing and is so often used as a preparatory stage before
sintering. High temperature nodulizing in a rotary kiln was important, at one
time, but is not extensively practiced anymore.

1.3.2.4 Briquetting

Briquetting is an agglomeration process that utilizes pressure to form

regular shaped lump material from fines. The material and a binder are either
cold pressed or hot pressed to form a product that, in most cases, must be
fired to develop the agglomerating bonds. The process is expensive, compared
to other agglomerating processes are required, e. g., agglomeration of smelter
flue dust cement cooper product for recycling to the smelter system,
preparation of feed material to electric reduction processes such as the
production of phosphorus, ferromanganese and ferrophosphorus alloys.