DRI PRODUCTION

In

India

What is DRI and HBI

Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) is a reduced Iron in Solid State reduction process produced from iron ore which is consequently used as a feedstock in EAF and Induction Furnace for Steel Making. Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) is a compacted form of DRI designed for ease of handling, storage & shipping.

In India the coal based kiln type DRI plants became more popular because of availability of coal and to meet out the requirement of small steel plants. The gas based DRI plants started coming up with the availability of natural gas.

As per the statistics available , in year 2011, 55 million ton DRI was produced through gas based plants and 19 million ton DRI through coal based rotary kilns.

GAS Based DRI 76 %

World DRI Production

Gas Based Coal-based

COAL Based DRI 24%

DRI Production Methods of DRI production

Coal based DRI ( Rotary Kilns)

Gas based DRI ( Vertical Shafts)

Natural Gas based DRI

Synthesis gas Based DRI

Gas based DRI Production The natural gas based DRI plants are mainly based on Reforming of Natural Gas (NG), as feedstock

& two main predominant processes have come and now well established are from Midrex, USA and HYL, Mexico.

DRI plants based on Midrex Technology are equipped with conventional Reformer (with Ni catalyst packed tubes) where both steam & CO2 reforming takes place with addition of NG and produce reducing gases H2 & CO, which eventually convert iron oxide in the form of lumps & pellets, to metallic iron in a shaft furnace.

DRI plants based on HYL Technology have stand alone steam reformer in which NG is reformed by steam generated by waste heat of reformer. Outlet spent gases from reactor (furnace) is processed for CO2 removal by Amine/K2CO3 based Adsorption process or by Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA or VPSA) and is mixed back with Reformed Gas and heated in process gas heater and fed to the reactor , which eventually converts iron oxide in the form of lumps & pellets to metallic iron.

Typical Midrex Process

(natural gas based )

Typical HYL Process

(natural gas based )

First time in the world JSPL is putting up a 1.8 MTPY DRI Plant based on Syn Gas produced from Indian High Ash Thermal Coal.

The Coal to Gas Plant of 2,25,000 Nm3/hr and DRI Plant of 1.8 MTPY are under installation and expected to be commissioned by December, 2012 at Angul, Odisha

Typical Midrex Process with Syngas

Typical Midrex Process with Syngas

Chemical Value of COG for DRI Production

Presently, worldwide the Coke oven gas is being used for reheating purpose or steam production .

First time in the world, JSPL recognizes the chemical value of COG and has established a technical tie up with HYL to use COG for DRI production. The engineering is completed and plant will be commissioned by end of 2014.

MIDREX is also offering a similar technology to produce DRI using COG.

Coal Based DRI production in Raigarh

JSPL produces 1.3 MTPA DRI using rotary kilns based on coal. The plant is rated as most efficient & environment friendly.

Parameters Coal consumption : 1.30 ton/ton of DRI

Power Consumption : 78 kwh/ton of DRI

Oxide Consumption : 1.49 ton /ton of DRI

Specific Accretion Generation : 0.05 ton /ton of DRI

Specific Char Generation : 0.218 ton / ton of DRI

We have experienced that Coal Based DRI production can be environment friendly & efficient if proper selection and regular maintenance of plant & equipment is done.

Raigarh Coal Based DRI SL. ITEM CHARACTERISTICS SPECIFICATIONS

1. SPONGE IRON - LUMPS (i) % NON MAGNETIC 1.0 MAXIMUM

(ii) % METALLIC Fe 80 MINIMUM

(iii) % TOTAL Fe 91 MINIMUM

(iv) METALLISATION 88 MINIMUM

(v) % PHOSPHORUS 0.07 MAXIMUM

(vi) % 0.030 MAXIMUM

(vii) % CARBON 0.3 MAXIMUM

(viii) % SiO2 + Al2O2 5 MAXIMUM

(ix) SIZE 3 – 20 MM. (-3MM, 5% MAX)

2. SPONGE IRON - FINES (i) % NON MAGNETIC 1.0 MAXIMUM

(ii) % METALLIC Fe 80 MINIMUM

(iii) % TOTAL Fe 91 MINIMUM

(iv) METALLISATION 88 MINIMUM

(v) % PHOSPHORUS 0.07 MAXIMUM

(Vi) % 0.030 MAXIMUM

(vii) % CARBON 0.3 MAXIMUM

(viii) % SiO2 + Al2O2 5 MAXIMUM

(ix) SIZE 0-6 MM. (+ 6MM, 5% MAX)

Midrex Technology :

HBI production: 1.50 MTPY

JINDALSHADEED (Shadeed Iron & Steel LLC)Sohar, OMAN:

To reduce the dependence on lump ore , we are producing 4.0 MTPA pellets at Barbil and putting

another pellet plant of 4.5 MTPA capacity.

Most of the production will be used for DRI making in house , balance for the sale to other DRI

manufacturers in the country.

ADVANTAGES

Sp.Iron Consumption is Reduced by 20-25 % as against of Iron Ore Lumps.

Production of DRI increases by 10 -15% in rotary kilns .

Specific Coal Consumption is reduced by 10-15%

Specific Power Consumption is Reduced by 10% .

Lumps & Fines Ratio is 90:10 as against 60:40 if Iron ore is used..

Magnetic particles in char are reduced from 2.5% to 1%

Accretion formation in DRI rotary kiln is reduced by 50%..

PELLET – A GOOD FEED FOR DRI PRODUCTION

RECOMMENDATIONS

Future of Indian Steel Industry is pellet & DRI since it reduces dependence on coking coal .

We have found that using 50 % hot metal & 50 % DRI brings better result in EAFs . We could achieve 40 heats /day /EAF .

DRI can be produced using coke oven gas from coke oven plants.

DRI can also be used as a chiller for BOF.

Thank You