Method of producing iron oxide pellets

Abstract

A method for producing an iron oxide pellet including the steps of adding water to a raw material mixture comprising iron oxide which serves as a primary component, a carbonaceous material in an amount sufficient for reducing the iron oxide, an organic binder in an amount sufficient for binding the iron oxide and the carbonaceous material, and an inorganic coagulant in an amount of not less than 0.05 mass % and less than 1 mass %; pelletizing the resultant mixture to thereby obtain a green pellet; and drying the green pellet until the moisture content is reduced to equal to or less than 1.0 mass %. The thus-produced iron oxide pellet is charged in a reducing furnace for reduction to thereby obtain a reduced iron pellet.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for producing a metal oxide agglomerated product comprising the steps of: 
 mixing raw material components at least comprising a metal oxide, a carbonaceous material and an organic binder;    agglomerating the resulting raw material mixture to thereby obtain an agglomerated product; and    drying the agglomerated product,    wherein the protein content of the organic binder is less than 10 mass %.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of mixing raw material components comprises mixing the raw material components while adding water.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of agglomerating the resulting raw material mixture to thereby obtain an agglomerated product comprises performing the agglomeration while adding water.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises the step of adding water to the raw material mixture.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of mixing raw material components comprises the steps of mixing raw material components having small moisture contents, and mixing a raw material component having a large water content to the resulting raw material mixture.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the step of mixing raw material components having small moisture contents comprises mixing the raw material components while adding water.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the step of mixing raw material components having small moisture contents comprises mixing the raw material components while adding water so as to have a moisture content of 4-8 mass %.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of drying the agglomerated product is carried out at 80-220° C.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of drying the agglomerated product is carried out at 150-200° C.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an inorganic coagulant is included in the raw material components.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the iron oxide and the carbonaceous material are blast furnace dust, converter dust, dust from a sintering process, electric furnace dust, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         12 . An metal oxide agglomerated produced through a method as recited in any one of claims  1  through  11 .