COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE REDUCIBILITY AND SWELLING OF ITAKPE AND AGBAJA IRON ORE AND THE RESULTANT PELLETS

The comparative study on the reducibility and swelling of Itakpe and Agbaja Iron Ore and the resultant pellets were performed. The chemical and morphology of the samples were examined. Thermogravimetry(TG),DifferentialThermal Analyzer (DTA), XRF, Optical and Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS).The reducibility and swelling studies were performed in using a muffle furnace. The resultant pellets and the iron ore lumps were taken inside the stainless steel container with diameter 60.75 mm x 59.40 mm inside diameter with a mouth tightly closed by an air tight cover having an out let for exit gas, The samples were surrounded with metallurgical coking coal obtained from the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited. The highest reducibility value of the resultant pellet for the Itakpe iron ore value was 99.7% with corresponding temperature at 1000oC and time rate of 120mins, while the highest reducibility value of the resultant pellets for the Agbaja iron ore was obtained at 95.7% with corresponding temperature at 1000oC and time rate of 120mins. Similarly, the highest reducibility value of the Itakpe iron ore lump was obtained at 74.33% with corresponding temperature at 1000oC and time rate of 120mins . The highest reducibility value of the Agbja iron ore lumps obtained at 33.00 % with corresponding temperature at 1000oC and time rate of 120mins..Smiliarly the highest swelling value obtained was 17.2 % for resultant pellets of Itakpe with corresponding value at 1000oC and time rate of 120mins. The highest swelling % of resultant pellets for Agbaja iron ore was as 24.4 with corresponding temperature at 1000oC at time rate of 120mins, while the highest swelling % value of Itakpe iron ore lump was obtained at 15.4 with corresponding temperature at 1000oC and time rate of 120mins. Finally, the highest swelling % value of the Agbaja iron ore lump was obtained aa 4.41 with corresponding temperature at 1000oC and time rate of 120mins.