Production of Iron Nuggets from the Akpafu-Todzi Iron Ore using Waste Plastics and Waste Biomass as Reductants

James Ransford Dankwah, Bernard Selasie Agbenuvor, Pramod Koshy

Abstract


Disposal of waste plastics is currently a huge global problem, especially in the least developed countries where proven avenues for recycling such wastes are non-existent or not well documented. In this work we investigate the potential for producing high grade iron nuggets from the Akpafu-Todzi iron ore in the Volta Region of Ghana, using waste plastics and waste biomass as reductants. Carbonaceous materials were generated from waste pure water sachets (PWS) by pulverising an embrittled mass obtained through a melting-quenching sequence. Reduction studies were then conducted on composite pellets of the ore containing the PWS and PNS and various blends of PWS-PNS. Reaction products were characterised by SEM/EDS and XRD and the extent of reduction after 40 min was determined for the individual polymers and the blends as reductants. It was observed that iron nuggets can be produced from the Akpafu-Todzi iron using waste plastics and its blends with waste polymers. The measured extent of reduction ranged from about 79.95% to about 99.95%, with the highest attained for the blend of PWS and PNS prepared in the ratio 30 % to 70 %.


Keywords


Reduction; Akpafu-Todzi Iron Ore; Waste Plastics; Waste Pure Water Sachets; Extent of Reduction

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References


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