LAUSR

ABSTRACT Both straight-grate and grate-kiln furnaces have been accepted in the iron ore industry. Both are considered to be roughly equal when comparing overall costs and expenses versus the final product production rate. However, the product quality of these two systems is not equal. This is shown by critically examining the dust generation of pellets from several facilities. The dustiness of pellets is associated with overall pellet strength, and is an important quality measure of fired pellets on its own. A clear distinction between the dustiness of grate-kiln and straight-grate fired pellets is established. We conclude that grate-kiln-cooler systems provide superior pellet quality, but at the cost of some pellet production rate.