Effect of Screening and Recirculating Fines from the Blast furnace Sinter on the Strand Productivity vis a vis Improvement in mean size of Sinter

The data of the sintering plant at Bhilai and the laboratory experimental data have been analysed to formulate a return fines regime for the sintering plant. This would be applicable in case there is incompatib-ility between the sizes of sinter and lump ore to affect the furnace permeability. The mean size of sinter can be improved considerably when the -5 mm size fraction is screened out from the sinter and recirculated to the plant. Such recirculation decreases intake of the fresh material. Mathematical formulation has been given based on the pot sintering experiment which shows that the loss in production could be compensated either fully or partly by a simultaneous increase in the yield with such recirculation