Iron Ore Sintering: Environment. Automatic and Control Techniques

Abstract

Sintering is a process of agglomeration of iron ore fines, fluxes, recycled products, slag-forming elements, and coke with the purpose of achieving an agglomerated product with the suitable composition, quality and granulometry to be used as burden material in the blast furnace. However, the sintering process accounts for an important percentage of the ironmaking and steelmaking emissions, so the minimization of them will promote environmental and health improvements as well as economical profitability. Automatic and control systems contribute to all these objectives.