Process for agglomerating particulate material and products made from such processes

Abstract

A process for particulate agglomeration (i.e., pelletizing) and the product produced (i.e., pellets) by such processes are disclosed. The process generally comprises a process of agglomerating particulate material, said process comprising commingling said particulate material with a moistening effective amount of water, a binding effective amount of polymer and a binding effective amount of weak acid to produce a mixture and forming said mixture into agglomerates.

1 . A process of agglomerating particulate material, said process comprising commingling said particulate material with a moistening effective amount of water, a binding effective amount of polymer and a binding effective amount of weak acid to produce a mixture and forming said mixture into agglomerates.  
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said particulate material is a metallic ore.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said metallic ore is iron.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said polymer is comprised of at least two polymers.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of guar, guar derivatives, starch, modified starch, starch derivatives, alginates, pectins, polyacrylamides, polyacrylates, polyethylene oxides and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said weak acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid and tartaric acid.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said polymer and said weak acid together are about 0.01 to about 1.0 wt. % of said mixture.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the particulate material is comprised of iron ore, the polymer is comprised of guar and the weak acid is comprised of citric acid.  
     
     
         9 . Pellets comprised of particulate material, a binding effective amount of polymer and a binding effective amount of weak acid.  
     
     
         10 . The pellets of  claim 9  wherein said particulate material is a metallic ore.  
     
     
         11 . The pellets of  claim 10  wherein said metallic ore is iron.  
     
     
         12 . The pellets of  claim 9  wherein said polymer is comprised of at least two polymers.  
     
     
         13 . The pellets of  claim 9  wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of guar, guar derivatives, starch, modified starch, starch derivatives, cellulose derivatives, alginates, pectin, polyacrylamide, polyethylene oxides, polyacrylates and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The pellets of  claim 9  wherein said weak acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid and tartaric acid.  
     
     
         15 . The pellets of  claim 9  wherein said polymer and said weak acid together are about 0.01 to about 1.0 wt. % of said pellets.  
     
     
         16 . The pellets of  claim 9  wherein said particulate material is comprised of iron ore, said polymer is comprised of guar and said weak acid is comprised of citric acid.  
     
     
         17 . A process of agglomerating particulate material, said process comprising commingling said particulate material with (1) a moistening effective amount of water, (2) a binding effective amount of a polymer selected from the group consisting of guar, guar derivatives, starch, modified starch, starch derivatives, and mixtures thereof and (3) a binding effective amount of the salt of a weak acid to produce an agglomerating mixture and forming said mixture into agglomerates.  
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17  wherein said particulate material is metallic ore.  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18  wherein said metallic ore is iron ore.  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 17  wherein said salt of a weak acid selected from the group consisting of salts of citric acid, salts of tartaric acid, salts of malic acid, salts of fumaric acid, salts of lactic acid and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 17  wherein said polymer and said salt of a weak acid together are about 0.01 to about 1.0 wt. % of said agglomerating mixture.  
     
     
         22 . Pellets comprised of particulate material, a binding effective amount of polymer selected from the group consisting of guar, guar derivatives, starch, modified starch, starch derivatives and mixtures thereof and a binding effective amount of the salt of a weak acid.  
     
     
         23 . The pellets of  claim 22  wherein said particulate material is metallic ore.  
     
     
         24 . The pellets of  claim 23  wherein said particulate material is iron ore.  
     
     
         25 . The pellets of  claim 22  wherein said salt of a weak acid is selected from the group consisting of salts of citric acid, salts of tartaric acid, salts of malic acid, salts of fumaric acid, salts of lactic acid and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The pellets of  claim 22  wherein said polymer and said salt of a weak acid together are about 0.01 to about 1.0 wt. % of said pellets.  
     
     
         27 . A process of agglomerating particulate material, said process comprising commingling said particulate material with (1) a moistening effective amount of water, (2) a binding effective amount of a polymer selected from the group consisting of guar, guar derivatives, and mixtures thereof and (3) a binding effective amount of the salt of a weak acid to produce an agglomerating mixture and forming said mixture into agglomerates.  
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 27  wherein said particulate material is metallic ore.  
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 28  wherein said metallic ore is iron ore.  
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 27  wherein said salt of a weak acid selected from the group consisting of salts of citric acid, salts of tartaric acid, salts of malic acid, salts of fumaric acid, salts of lactic acid and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 27  wherein said polymer and said salt of a weak acid together are about 0.01 to about 1.0 wt. % of said agglomerating mixture.  
     
     
         32 . Pellets comprised of particulate material, a binding effective amount of polymer selected from the group consisting of guar, guar derivatives, and mixtures thereof and a binding effective amount of the salt of a weak acid.  
     
     
         33 . The pellets of  claim 32  wherein said particulate material is metallic ore.  
     
     
         34 . The pellets of  claim 33  wherein said particulate material is iron ore.  
     
     
         35 . The pellets of  claim 32  wherein said salt of a weak acid is selected from the group consisting of salts of citric acid, salts of tartaric acid, salts of malic acid, salts of fumaric acid, salts of lactic acid and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         36 . The pellets of  claim 32  wherein said polymer and said salt of a weak acid together are about 0.01 to about 1.0 wt. % of said pellets.