Abstract
The existing methods of iron briquettes production from metallurgical sludge are based on their preliminary dewatering, multistage and energy-consuming technologies of pelletizing. The importance of solving the problem of dewatering of high-moisture fine iron sludge for creating resource-saving metallurgical processes is shown. The research results present the combined process of chemical dewatering of high-moisture iron-containing sludge with pulverized waste lime and dolomite and their hardening and pelletizing by pressing in a single technological cycle. In the process of laboratory study the following parameters were controlled: temperature, weight, rate of dewatering, chemical composition, moisture of the mixtures, appearance of produced briquettes and mechanical strength of the briquettes. A kiln-free method has been developed to produce iron-containing briquettes from sludge, which combines the processes of dewatering and self-hardening of the mixture and the process of pelletizing in a single technological cycle. The proposed technology does not require slime drying and briquette firing. The strength of briquettes increases as they cool in the air during 1 day. The proposed technology would allow organizing the production of iron-containing material for melting cast iron and steel from iron-containing slime and finely ground waste of limestone and dolomite firing.