Investigation of composite briquette production using different binders in Elazığ region chromite concentrates

In this study, it is aimed to produce cold setting pellets and cold setting composite pellets by using chromite concentrate, similar to the pellet production in sponge iron production. In the experiments, oscillating table concentrate obtained from ETI KROM Inc. in Kovancılar district in Elazig; rice starch, molasses, Ca(OH)2 and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the binder were used. Besides, coke coal, which is arranged as the same size as the ore, was used to produce self-reducible pellets. Within the scope of cold setting composite pellet production from chromite ores, features of binder type used in pelleting, the amount of binder added into the mixture, drying temperature and time have been optimized, and the most suitable parameters for each binder have been determined. In the studies conducted with rice starch to produce cold setting spherical pellets, it has been observed that the dry compressive strength of produced chromite ore pellets by adding different proportions of rice starch does not comply with the cold setting pellet strength standards. On the other hand, as a result of produced pellets by adding 2% CMC, 20% coke and 4% Ca(OH)2 and drying at 200 C for 90 minutes, the pellet strength value of 725 N/pellet was obtained. This value is much higher than the cold setting pellet standards, and it might be stated that it has the qualities that can be used in palletisation of chromite ores and concentrates. As a result of the pellet production with molasses studies, it is seen that using 10% of the total material of the molasses solution, which was prepared to be (Molasses / Water) ratio is (60/100) and sprayed it to the mixture consisting of 20% coke, 4% Ca(OH)2 and ore during the pellet production, the manufactured pellets gave 611 N / Pellet dry compression strength and 15-19 crude pellet falling numbers after drying 200 C for 120 minutes. These values are above the cold hardening pellet standards, and therefore they have qualities that can be used in pelleting chromite ores and concentrates.