Tests of Briquettes for Mechanical Strength.

The expediency of applying the test methods for sinter and pellets to determine the mechanical strength of blast-furnace briquettes is considered. Based on numerical modeling, the behaviors of pellets and briquettes under shock and abrasive loads in a rotating drum, static compressive loads, and when dropped from a height are compared. It is shown that due to the fundamental difference in the physical and mechanical properties of agglomerated products, corrections are needed for adequate assessment of the mechanical strength by conventional methods. Numerical modeling reveals a significant difference in the maximum stresses in a pellet and a briquette in the charge, which justifies the decrease in the compressive strength rejection limits for briquettes. When testing briquettes in a drum, their behavior when dropped on a metal surface should be taken into account. The rejection limits for testing briquettes in a drum should be adjusted. It is substantiated that the drop strength test method is fundamentally important for assessing the strength of blast-furnace briquettes because it is the most appropriate to the way they are delivered to the blast furnace. For the first time, the need to test briquettes for strength when exposed to gas flow is indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]