TEHRAN- Iran produced 27.007 million tons or iron ore pellets in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21), according to the data released by the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA).

As reported, the production of iron ore pellets in the country fell two percent during the five-month period of this year, as compared to the same period of time in the past year, when the production was 27.63 million tons.

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