Experimental Study of Stockpiles of Iron Ore Fines

Abstract

Storage of iron ore pellet feed fines (with 90% minimum granulometry of <45 μm and 100% <150 micron) can be studied through the mechanics of granular materials. Geotechnical inputs are not able to explain the failure phenomenon comprehensively. Yet, in the industry the trend is to work with geotechnical inputs and an exaggerated degree of visual interpretation. The first part of this article briefly shows some articles in which authors emphasize the mechanics of granular materials and an article placing emphasis on the geotechnical features of granular materials. The second part shows the solution to the equation developed by [1] applied to the geometry of iron ore storage piles. The scale model study of stress variation on the model’s axis is done and the comparison of the stress variation and Thamwattana’s analytical resolution is commented. The third part shows a stress distribution study formulating centered finite differences by applying the Itasca Consulting Group’s PFC2D software to the iron ore stockpile within the same footprint as the stockpile in the analytical model. This study’s conclusions are as follows: 1) The differential between the models is the differences between tangential and normal rigidity. These differences between tangential rigidity Kt and normal rigidity Kn make the stockpile unstable. We can state that when Kn = Kt the stockpiles are more stable. 2) The models and all the work done show that the stockpiles are not stable. The stockpiles are at times temporarily stable, but even after formation, these stockpiles are unstable and the particles are always moving.