A review of binders in iron ore pelletization

The majority of iron ores must be ground to a fine particle size to allow the iron oxides they contain to be concentrated, and the concentrate must then be agglomerated back into large enough particles that they can be processed in blast furnaces. The most common agglomeration technique is pelletization, which requires the use of binders to hold the iron oxide grains together so that the agglomerates can be sintered into high-strength pellets. Although bentonite clay is the most commonly used binder, there are many other possibilities that could be competitive in a number of situations. This article reviews the numerous types of binders (both organic and inorganic) that have been considered for iron ore pelletization, including discussion of the binding mechanisms, advantages and limitations of each type, and presentation of actual pelletization results, so that the performance of the various types of binders can be compared and evaluated.