Characterising the mineralogy of iron ore sinters - state-of-the-art in Australia

Many different approaches have been used in the past to characterise iron ore sinter mineralogy to predict sinter quality and elucidate the impacts of iron ore characteristics and process variables on the mechanisms of sintering. Characterisation techniques include optical image analysis and point counting, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages depending on the objectives of the measurement. It is generally acknowledged that silicoferrite of calcium and aluminium (SFCA) is very important to the quality of the sinter produced, however, strict definitions of the phases and textures of SFCA are not generally agreed. This paper summarises the state of the art in sinter characterisation applied in Australia by both academics and industrial researchers. The results from various techniques are compared and the relationships between the measurement results are discussed.