There are two major processes for the production of iron ore pellets – straight grate & grate kiln. Straight grate plants are expensive & suited for large scale production. Grate kiln plants are economical and suited for medium scale production.

GoodRich offers iron ore pelletisation plants from a reputed manufacturer in China, based on the grate kiln technology. The plants are available in capacities from 100,000 tons to 1,200,000 tons per annum. The Chinese company has already supplied 8 pellet plants in India.

In the grate kiln process, a chain grate system is used for drying & pre-heating the green balls to be fed into the rotary kiln, where they are indurated. The pellets are finally cooled in a circular cooler.

Iron ore pellets are being increasingly favoured in modern blast furnaces. The proportion of pellets in iron making is increasing due to their properties such as higher density, uniform granularity, good reductability, etc.

Pellet is a good material for sponge iron making also. When used in the rotary kiln, pellets reduce the iron ore requirement to 1.45 tons per ton of sponge; reduce the travelling time & increase the sponge output by 20-25%. They also reduce the coal consumption by 15-20% & improve the metallization rate to 86-88%. Hence, they are sold at a premium price in the domestic market.

Performance parameters & consumption figures of 600,000 tons per year pellet plant  –