Evaluation of the Influence of Particle Size in the Acid Baking Process for the Reduction of Phosphorus Content in Iron Ore

Abstract Demand for iron ore worldwide has been steadily increasing, thus implying an increase in the volume of mining resulting in the extraction of ores with higher levels of silicon, phosphorus and sulfur impurities. An extensively used alternative is to perform a pre-treatment of the particles in order to reach the acceptable phosphorus limit in iron ore before its use in steel production. This study aims at the evaluation of the heating process and decrease of the phosphorus content of the particles using microwave energy in iron ore samples percolated by sulfuric acid followed by the leaching technique as a feasible route for the remotion of the phosphorus content in iron ore particles. Using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and statistical analysis techniques, it was possible to observe the characteristics of the iron ore particles after treatment with microwave energy. The results indicated that the developed process is feasible. The results of the kinetic simulation contribute to a better understanding of the phenomena of heating using microwave energy and also to the development of new cleaner technologies aiming to improve the efficiency of the acid baking - leaching technique for the reduction of the phosphorus content in iron ore particles.