Behaviour of kaolinite coated olivine pellets in blast furnace

Production olivine fluxed blast furnace pellets were coated with a water based slurry of kaolinite to give a coating of 5 kg t^-1 pellets. The LKAB experimental blast furnace in Lulea˚ was used to compare the behaviour of kaolinite coated olivine pellets (MPBO-KA) with that of regular olivine pellets coated with a water spray (MPBO-WA). Blast furnace operation with the kaolinite coated pellets was more stable, with higher productivity and slightly lower reductant consumption, than operation with the normal water coated pellets. In the lower shaft of the furnace, significant quantities of potassium oxide were found to have reacted with the olivine pellets and also with the kaolinite coating.