An Analysis of the Influence of Drying Methods on the Drying Kinetics and Quality of Ilmenite-Coke Composite Pellets

The effects of microwave and conventional oven drying on the drying kinetics and the quality of the ilmenite-coke composite pellets are presented. The drying time was substantially reduced in microwave drying (90 s) compared to conventional oven drying (10 min) for the exact size of composite pellets. The activation energy values in microwave drying were minimal for bigger-sized pellets. An 8–11 mm pellet size was suitable for achieving the desired pellet properties for both drying methods. The microwave-dried pellets showed quite similar dry strengths to that of the oven-dried pellets; however, the reduction performance of the microwave-dried pellets was better owing to the micro-cracks formation, as observed under the electron microscope, in several grains.