This invention relates to a method of carbothermic process of magnesium production and co-production of calcium carbide, which is particularly suitable for carbothermic process of magnesium production with a mixture of magnesium oxide and calcium oxide as a raw material and carbon as a reducing agent. A mixed powder containing magnesium oxide, calcium oxide and a carbon reducing agent is prepared. The mixed powder is processed into a pelletized furnace feed material, which is placed into a reactor equipped with a heat source. With an absolute pressure P in the reactor being set within the range of 1000 Pa≤P≤atmospheric pressure or to a slightly positive pressure and a reaction temperature T within the range of 11 lg.sup.2P+71 lgP+1210° C.<T<98 lg.sup.2P-129 lgP+1300° C., a smelting reaction is run. Liquid magnesium is obtained through condensation by a condenser connected to the reactor, and after the smelting reaction has finished, calcium carbide is obtained within the reactor. With this method, a potential safety hazard in that a magnesium vapor produced during carbothermic magnesium production, when co-cooled with a CO gas, tends to give rise to a magnesium powder and cause an explosion can be completely avoided, and magnesium production cost can be significantly reduced. This method has a good prospect of industrial application.

An apparatus for thermally treating lithium ores and other mineral raw material may include a comminution apparatus, a pelletization apparatus, and a thermal treatment apparatus. The pelletization apparatus can be a mechanical fluidized bed reactor. Further, a process for thermally treating lithium ore and other mineral raw material may involve comminuting the mineral raw material in a comminution apparatus to form a first product, pelletizing the first product in a mechanical fluidized bed reactor to form a second product, and thermally treating the second product in a thermal treatment apparatus. Ninety percent of all particles in the second product may have a particle size between 50 μm and 500 μm.

An apparatus for thermally treating lithium ores and other mineral raw material may include a comminution apparatus, a pelletization apparatus, and a thermal treatment apparatus. The pelletization apparatus can be a mechanical fluidized bed reactor. Further, a process for thermally treating lithium ore and other mineral raw material may involve comminuting the mineral raw material in a comminution apparatus to form a first product, pelletizing the first product in a mechanical fluidized bed reactor to form a second product, and thermally treating the second product in a thermal treatment apparatus. Ninety percent of all particles in the second product may have a particle size between 50 μm and 500 μm.

A process for producing hot briquetted iron with increased solid carbonaceous material and/or flux includes: providing a shaft furnace of a direct reduction plant to reduce iron oxide with reducing gas; providing a hot briquette machine to produce hot briquetted iron; coupling a chute between a) a discharge exit of the shaft furnace for discharge of hot direct reduced iron and b) an entrance of the hot briquette machine; adding solid carbonaceous material and/or flux to the discharged hot direct reduced iron from the shaft furnace to produce a mixture of the discharged hot direct reduced iron and the solid carbonaceous material and/or flux before feeding to the hot briquette machine; and processing in the hot briquette machine to produce a product of hot briquetted iron with increased solid carbonaceous material content greater than about 3 weight percent and/or an increased flux content.

The present invention relates to the process of producing artificial aggregate from tailings from ore dams. The iron ore sandy tailings are mixed with a binder and, through the mixing and pelletizing process, form the artificial aggregate. The artificial aggregate produced has a spheroidal shape, a large size, a rough surface and a color that ranges between pink and dark red. This artificial aggregate is able to replace the natural aggregate, and can be used in the manufacture of a more resistant concrete, for the base and sub-base of roads, as a decorative element for gardens and beds, in addition to being a form of storage of ore dam tailings in the form of pellets, adding value to these tailings and reducing the environmental mining impacts.

The present disclosure is related to compacted calcium-based granules, in particular pellets, spheroidal/lens-shaped pellets, exhibiting specific chemical and physical properties and comprising a source of calcium and/or a source of magnesium, and optionally one or more additives. The present disclosure further relates to a method for the production of said pellets and to the use of said pellets in, for example, the steel industry, agriculture (in particular precision farming) and the glass industry.

A method of processing iron ore fines from various possible sources, with particle size up to 0.15 mm (through 100 mesh sieve) with no or limited comminution, directly into the intense mixer, with a set of binders in specific proportions, aiming to optimize physical and metallurgical properties of the pellets with minimal binder addition, thus not compromising the quality of steel products. The binders are starch, sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide, among others. The mixture with adjusted moisture content goes through conventional balling discs or drums and size screening. The green pellets then undergo drying with forced air at around 150° C. for a short time. The pellets obtained have excellent metallurgical properties, and compression resistance around 70 kgf/pellets, without the high and undesirable economic and environmental costs of the conventional indurating process. An alternative embodiment (FIG. 3) considers indurating the pellets at temperatures below 1,200° C. to obtain similar mechanical resistance than pellets made by the conventional induration process, with temperatures above 1,300° C.

A method for processing fines bearing iron or other metals, such as manganese, bauxite, boron, chromium, iron-nickel and/or ferrous slags, from various possible sources, possibly with the addition of self-reducing agents and other minerals for chemical adjustment, with particle size up to 6.3 mm (through ¼ inch sieve), directly into the intense mixer, with a set of binders in specific proportions, aiming to optimize physical and metallurgical properties of the briquettes with minimal binder addition, thus not compromising the quality of steel or other metal products. The binders are starch, sodium silicate and a base such as sodium hydroxide. The mixture with adjusted moisture content goes through a conventional briquetting roller press. The green briquettes then undergo drying with forced air at around 150° C. for a short time, or at ambient temperature for a longer time. The briquettes obtained have excellent metallurgical properties, and sufficient physical resistance for handling and transport, without the high and undesirable economic and environmental costs of the hot briquetting process.

A method for processing fines bearing iron or other metals, such as manganese, bauxite, boron, chromium, iron-nickel and/or ferrous slags, from various possible sources, possibly with the addition of self-reducing agents and other minerals for chemical adjustment, with particle size up to 6.3 mm (through ¼ inch sieve), directly into the intense mixer, with a set of binders in specific proportions, aiming to optimize physical and metallurgical properties of the briquettes with minimal binder addition, thus not compromising the quality of steel or other metal products. The binders are starch, sodium silicate and a base such as sodium hydroxide. The mixture with adjusted moisture content goes through a conventional briquetting roller press. The green briquettes then undergo drying with forced air at around 150° C. for a short time, or at ambient temperature for a longer time. The briquettes obtained have excellent metallurgical properties, and sufficient physical resistance for handling and transport, without the high and undesirable economic and environmental costs of the hot briquetting process.

The present invention concerns the use of a magnesium-including compound as binder for producing metallic ore fluxed pellets, in particular iron ore fluxed pellets, said magnesium-including compound comprising semi-hydrated dolime fitting the general formula aCa(OH).sub.2.Math.bMg(OH).sub.2.Math.cMgO, a, b, and c being weight fractions wherein the weight fraction b of Mg(OH).sub.2 is between 0.5 and 19.5 % by weight with respect to the total weight of said semi-hydrated dolime.