ABSTRACT
The technology of powder compaction has advanced greatly in as a result of the need to utilize the low-grade iron ores. Although finely divided ores and concentrates possess large surface area and therefore high chemical reactivity, and can be treated in reverberatory or fluidized bed furnaces, they are usually compacted in larger agglomerates before treatment. This is because of their inconvenient handling and storage characteristics such as dusting, uncontrolled agglomeration, segregation, and high bulk volume. This unit operation is not restricted to metallurgy; it is extensively used in other industries as well, for example, coal, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, animal feed, and others. Two methods are used: briquetting and agglomeration. In briquetting method, high pressure is used to compact the powders in a briquetting machine. Nearly all particulate matter can be agglomerated using this method. There are four main methods used for the agglomeration of ores: Rotary kiln method, moving grate method, balling and heat treatment and balling and curing.
