TEHRAN- Iran exported 5.383 million tons of iron ore pellet worth $454 million during the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-September 21), according to the data released by the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA).

As ISPA reported, the country had exported 4.624 million tons of the product worth $463 million in the first six months of the past year.

Iron ore pellet export fell 1.9 percent in terms of value, and rose 16 percent in terms of weight, in six months, year on year.

Iron ore pellet is a type of agglomerated iron ore fines which has better tumbler index when compared with that of the parent iron ore. Iron ore pellets are widely used as a substitute of lump ore for the production of direct reduced iron (DRI) and in the blast furnace (BF) for the production of hot metal. Iron ore pellets are used in large proportion, which is continue to rise because of the lack of supply of high-quality lump ores. The term iron ore pellet refers to the thermally agglomerated material formed by heating a variable mixture of iron ore, limestone, olivine, bentonite, dolomite, and miscellaneous iron bearing materials in the range of 1,250 deg C to 1,350 deg C.

Iron ore pellets can be made from beneficiated or run of mine iron ore fines. Lean iron ores are normally upgraded to higher iron ore content through beneficiation.  This process generates iron ore filter cake which needs to be pelletized so that it can be used in an iron making process.  Also, during the processing of high-grade iron ores which do not need beneficiation, generated fines can be pelletized and used instead of being disposed of.

MA