Stiff extrusion for pelletizing or briquetting nickel laterite, manganese and chrome ore fines

Steele stiff extrusion gives ferro alloy producers around the world proven, cost-effective recovery of waste and by-product streams. Our extruders make engineered pellets or briquettes for consistent, reliable feedstock for various smelting processes.

Our extruders offer important advantages over traditional pelletizing and briquetting technologies, producing pelletized or briquetted feedstock with less binders and additives. Stiff extrusion, originally developed to produce brick, block and tile, uses high-shear mixing and de-airing to form bulk raw materials into durable units (our extruded pellets and briquettes are strong enough for rough handling in their green state).

Steele stiff extrusion recovers high-value ores from dryer, kiln and furnace dust.

Recovering mill by-products for use as engineered feedstock

Steele stiff extrusion offers a sustainable, economical alternative to landfilling sludge, fines and dust, with material handling and shaping to agglomerate raw materials for feedstock. Our process converts fine, wet materials into extruded pellets, with the durability and reducibility you need.

A better mix for consistent, repeatable performance

We insist on superior mix quality (Steele has decades of experience with customers running clay/shale blends who need a homogenous mix to eliminate color variations).

Proper sizing and mixing supports more effective extrusion, which gives you the consistent, repeatable performance you need in your melt recipe.

Better durability and reducibility

Stiff extrusion is ideal for agglomeration of fines <6mm with varying levels of moisture. Vacuum improves product strength and binder effect, which permits lower levels of binder and moisture for more material recovery.

Converts fines, dust and sludge to high-quality feedstock
Homogenous mix for consistent performance
Less binder for more material recovery
Dies allow precise pellet sizing for most smelting processes

Steele extruded pellets and briquettes are shippable, handling 20+ transfers and arriving with attrition rates below spec. They’re also weather-resistant, handling 60-90 days of exposure before melting.

Stiff extrusion recovers high-value nickel laterite ore for a mining customer in Colombia.

C A S E S T U D Y — # 1

Existing agglomeration technology is inadequate for ultra-fine kiln dust

Problem:	A customer was using a briquetting technology to agglomerate kiln and dryer dust in a ferro nickel plant. Briquettes fed into a rotary kiln were reverting to dust before exiting the kiln.
Solution:	We provided the first of three extrusion lines in 1998. The machines processed dust from both the rotary kiln and dryers, to be reintroduced into the system for additional smelting.
Result:	Since 1999, the customer has processed over 10 million tons of nickel-rich lateritic ore dust with our extruders. This equates to an additional 10,000 tons of nickel per year.

C A S E S T U D Y — # 2

Stiff extrusion feeds submerged arc furnace

Problem:	A customer was using a briquetting technology to agglomerate various manganese ore fines and dust. With expansion in another country, they wanted to install the best recovery technology for their fines and dust.
Solution:	We installed an extruder on site for the customer to evaluate our technology. During the test, we produced over 20,000 tons of extruded briquettes to feed their submerged arc furnace.
Result:	Following the large-scale trial, the customer installed our 45 Series extruder to process over 6,000 tons of material a month for use as feedstock.

Scalable solutions

Steele extruders deliver the reliability you need for a simple process. They’re heavier and more durable than competitive machines built with fabricated frame components and augers — we cast primary frame components from ductile iron and wearing parts from our wear-resistant high chrome alloy.

Steele specializes in scalable process solutions, with single-line systems producing 10-100 TPH. We combine turnkey product, plant and application engineering to ensure a reliable stream of high-quality feedstock.

Steele 75 Series Extruder and Pug Sealer

Extruder	US tons per hour*	Metric tons per hour*
HD Series	5	3
25 Series	22	20
45 Series	51	47
90 Series	90	81

*Tonnages based on material density.

In-house lab and test plant services

We have comprehensive in-house lab and test plant resources, staffed with veteran engineers and technicians. Our experience with adding value to bulk raw materials helps us engineer an optimal agglomerated product.

We can assess stiff extrusion for your feedstock requirements, working with up to 5 kg of your raw materials in our lab and up to 20TPH in our test plant. Once we’ve qualified your materials, we can recommend a process to deliver a product with the specified performance and handling requirements.

Lab & Testing Facilities

We insist on proper mix quality, which means evaluating your sizing and feeding requirements.

Steele stiff extrusion powers the new TMS International pilot plant in Middletown, OH

Customers and prospects have been asking us for customized full-scale trials for their specific feedstock needs. We’re listening.

Steele has joined forces with TMS International, a global leader in mill services. TMS International opened its pilot plant in for Extruded Product Services (EPS) August 2016 in Middletown, OH to provide feedstock trials for customers that generate substantial by-products. Steele extruders power the EPS process, converting fines, dust and sludge into standardized, consistent feedstock for customer melt recipes. To learn more, visit TMS International or contact Steele.

For more information on Steele stiff extrusion and its commercial feasibility for your by-product recovery, talk to your regional Steele sales representative or call +1 704.872.3681.

Ferro Alloys