Sinter quality and productivity are significantly influenced by the reactions occurring in the sintering bed. Formation of initial sinter melt from adhering fines and its interactions with coarse nucleus particles are the key sintering reactions. Hence understanding of these high temperature characteristics of iron ore is urgently needed. In the present study, laboratory scale tablet tests were carried out to examine the effect of adhering fines and nucleus particles from various ores on the characteristics of initial sinter melt formation and the structure and strength of the resultant analogue sinters. CITATION:Han, H, Lu, L, Hapugoda, S, Begelhole, J and Holmes, R, 2019. Sintering behaviour of adhering fines and nucleus particles of ores, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2019, pp 7787 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).