Iron Concentrate Particles

Dear Colleagues,

Iron ores are the raw material used to make iron and steel. Iron ore production has significantly expanded in recent years, owing to increasing steel demands in developing countries, such as China. As the content of iron ore in deposits has deteriorated, low-grade iron ore has been processed. Iron ore concentrate is an output product from processed iron ores that have been milled (crush, grind, magnetic separation, flotation) to separate deleterious elements and produce a high-quality product. Sintering and pelletizing are economic and widely used agglomeration processes to prepare iron ore fines/iron concentrate for ironmaking use. The quality requirements of sinter and pellet, such as physical, chemical, and metallurgical specifications, depend on each ironmaking furnace, and those requirements influence the operation of the iron ore sintering and pelletizing plant. Researchers have usually focused on the effect of the chemical, physical, and mineralogical characteristics of iron ore on these steps and the consequences for sinter/pellet quality and sintering/pelletizing performance. The present Special Issue on “Iron Concentrate Particles” will summarize the progress achieved in the last five years. The potential topics include but are not limited to:

• Characterization of iron concentrate particles;
• Crystallization of iron concentrate particles;
• Pelletizing process and raw materials;
• Balling technologies;
• Bonding mechanisms;
• Evolution of binders for iron ore pelletizing;
• Induration technologies;
• Challenges and innovations in iron ore sintering and pelletizing;
• Sintering process;
• Agglomeration processes;
• Oxidization and reduction of iron concentrate;
• Thermodynamic properties;
• Simulation of iron concentrate particles;
• Theoretical models.

Prof. Dr. Yufeng Guo
Dr. Shuai Wang
Dr. Mao Chen
Prof. Dr. Kexin Jiao
Dr. Lingzhi Yang
Prof. Dr. Feng Chen
Dr. Fuqiang Zheng
Topic Editors