Challenges

CLOSED ON: 05 AUG 2019  |  REWARD: INR 10,00,000
Reward money is paid in exchange of legally acquiring the solution, implementing it to solve the problem and meeting the success criteria. Milestones for paying the reward money would depend upon the complexity of challenge and maturity of the proposed solution, which would be discussed with the solver as soon as the proposed solution is selected by us.
Closed

Short Description:

Develop a solution to selectively reduce phosphorus content in iron ores in order to reduce its adverse impact on iron and steelmaking processes.

Challenge Details

The amount of phosphorus associated with iron ores, in few of our mines, is quite sporadic and high, which causes problems in downstream processes of iron and steel making. The Phosphorus content in iron ore ranges from 0.10% to 0.30%. At some places, it’s as high as 0.40% - 0.50% level or even more.

Detrimental effects of high phosphorus content in steel include various forms of embrittlement which reduce the toughness and ductility. Lower the phosphorus content in iron ore, better it is for iron and steel quality. We desire to achieve < 0.05% phosphorus content in iron ore.

The phosphorus content in iron ores is determined by chemical analysis (through ICP-OES analytical instrument at in-house Laboratory) of down-hole samples collected from exploratory drilling work spaced mostly at 100m x 100m grid. Phosphorus content determined from exploratory drilling work and ore samples collected from blast holes is used in grade control processes.

Existing facilities of ore processing at mines, do not have the capability to reduce phosphorus level from run-off mine (ROM) ore to product to that extent during wet processing or beneficiation of ore. In the existing process, the reduction (ROM ore to product) level is normally less than 10%. Therefore, ores are blended in controlled proportion with low phosphorus ores to minimize and average out the impact of high phosphorus iron ore in the downstream iron and steel making processes. The downstream processes require ores with Phosphorus content as low as possible, preferably at 0.085% to 0.10%.

The solution should fulfill the following requirements:

  • To reduce phosphorous content of run-off mines (ROM) ore by more than 50% in wet processing plant without losing iron value.
  • The solution must be applicable for all types of iron ores present in the mines.
  • It would be beneficial if the other deleterious constituents such as Al2O3, SiO2, etc. also get reduced from iron ores along with phosphorous in the process.
  • The process must be environmentally safe.
  • The process must have minimum water discharge, ideally, it should be zero water discharge.
  • Minimum modifications of the existing facilities.
  • Easy integration with the existing setup.

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