Iron ore sinter is ideally composed of unreacted iron ore nuclei (~30 - 40 per cent) cemented together by a porous matrix (~60 - 70 per cent) comprising mainly complex ferrite phases (denoted by the acronym SFCA - silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminium) plus minor calcium silicates and glass. The sinter matrix forms largely from high-temperature reactions between the added fluxes and the reactive intermediate and ultra-fine (-1 mm) components of the ore and is the glue' or cement that binds the sinter together. The matrix, which includes solid SFCA phases and pores, directly influences sinter quality parameters such as strength before and after reduction, sintering fuel rate, as well as sinter softening and melting behaviour in the blast furnace. This paper uses in situ diffraction experiments in model sinter systems and laboratory-based compact sinter tests using natural ores to examine the links between iron ore composition, sintering temperature and their effects on standard metallurgical sinter quality test methods. Results help to establish the critical compositional and thermal parameters that control the bonding phase chemistry, which in turn influences the physical characteristics of the sinter matrix. This information should enable operators to predict optimum sinter operating conditions based on the initial chemistry and mineralogy of the iron ore fines, plus recognise the chemical modifications to the original iron ore fines required to produce high-quality iron ore sinter.CITATION:Pownceby, M I, Webster, N A S and Manuel, J R, 2013._x000D_
Linking fine ore composition and high-temperature phase formation to the metallurgical properties of iron ore sinter, in Proceedings The Second AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2013 , pp 155-164 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).