International Journal of Iron & Steel Society of Iran

International Journal of Iron & Steel Society of Iran

Utilizing Gum Commiphora Mukul as Organic Binders to Replace Bentonite in Iron Ore Pelletizing

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
Abstract
 The use of powdered concentrate in iron production reduces the furnace efficiency. As a result, the concentrate was converted into pellets. Bentonite is usually used as a binder in pellet production, posing several operational challenges in the kiln. Therefore, organic binders have been introduced as alternatives to bentonite and other mineral binders. This study investigates the application of Commiphora Mukul gum (GCM) for the production of hematite pellets. First, pellets were prepared using the GCM and bentonite binders. The mechanical properties of the heat-treated pellets were also evaluated at various temperatures. The results showed that pellets baked at 1200°C and bentonite-bonded pellets had a compressive strength of approximately 1000 N/pellet. Pellets bonded solely with GCM gum exhibited insufficient strength. The optimal binder comprising a mixture of 2% bentonite+3% GCM binder achieved a compressive strength of 900 N/pellet. Therefore, the organic binder GCM alone cannot provide sufficient strength, while its combination with bentonite yields superior results. 
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