The investigation of sponge iron production parameters by using iron oxide pellets with domestic lignite coal

In the present work, the possibilities of coal-based sponge iron production for industrial applications by using domestic lignite coal were investigated. Experiments were performed using an electrically heated semi-pilot scale rotary tube furnace. The materials used were iron oxide pellets and Soma, Tunçbilek and Oltu domestic lignite coal. The effects of coal consumption ratio (C_fix/Fe_tot.), temperature and residence time on the metallization degree of sponge iron have been studied. Experiments were conducted at different temperatures (900, 1000 1050 and 1100 C). Coal consumption ratios were selected as 0.32 and 0.40. From the experiments carried out at different conditions, it was found that the metallization degrees reached to an optimum range desired for industrial applications. At the temperature of 1050 C and a coal consumption ratio of 0.32, reduction process with the Soma lignite coal was completed at about 40 minutes where the pellets showed 97 % average metallization degree. At different conditions, similar metallization degree was obtained with the Tunçbilek and the Oltu region lignite coal.