Iron Ore Sintering Plant Research Articles

Long-term simulation of an industrial coke breeze grinding circuit

One important application of rod milling is in size reduction of coke breeze, which is used as solid combustible in iron ore sintering plants. The work applies modeling and simulation of an industrial circuit comprised of a flip-flow screen and a rod mill to predict the circuit response in long-term operation, following the strategy used in the plant of replacing the rod charge only when it reaches the end of its life. Initially, the model for rod wear has been calibrated and the mill fillings estimated. Then the mill model has been validated with data from several industrial surveys, showing good agreement between the two. A long-term (approximately three-month) pseudo-dynamic simulation was then carried out to mimic the strategy normally used in plant operation. Additional simulations were then carried out to compare different scenarios of operation, demonstrating the benefit of increasing the rod charge and diameter, in particular when associated with operation of the mill at lower speed in the beginning of the charge life and progressive increase thereafter, besides partially replacing worn rods in their midlife. For instance, simulations showed that an increase in initial mill filling from 15 to 20 %, progressive increase in fraction of critical speed from 0.40 to 0.65 in contrast to operation at constant speed and gradual reduction of throughput from 60.0 to 40.2 t/h resulted in 56 % increase in charge lifetime, 35 % reduction in variability in product quality and 12 % reduction in cost of operation per ton of coke breeze produced.

Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides by Calcium Ferrites in an Iron Ore Sintering Plant

Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides by Calcium Ferrites in an Iron Ore Sintering Plant

Investigation of the Contents of the Stack Emissions of Iron Ore Sinter Plants With and Without Bag Filter.

This investigation aims to identify the reasons for the plumes' visibility, compare the stacks with other sinter plant stacks worldwide, and suggest countermeasures to completely stop the visibility of emissions. The appearance of the sinter plant stack emission changes with time and the background color of the sky due to the scattering effect of the sunlight and incidence angle. The flue gas samples were collected at the outlet of the emission control equipment and observed under optical and scanning electron microscopes. The characterization was performed with the help of an electron dispersive spectroscope and mapping technique. The contents of the stack of a sinter plant without a bag filter had much higher levels of PM10, SO2, and NOx. The emissions from all the sinter plants were invariably found to have particulates of SO2 and NOx of size less than 2.5 microns. It is suggested to opt for state-of-the-art fabric filter technology to eliminate PM2.5 emissions also.

Model of an iron ore sinter plant with selective waste gas recirculation

The use of sinter influences hot metal production substantially and significantly affects an integrated steel mill’s total emissions. Sintering of iron ores is an enormous energy-intensive and resources consuming process. Introducing a selective waste gas recirculation (SWGR) to the sintering process reduces the energy consumption, stack gas volume flow, and sulfur dioxide emissions of an iron sinter production. Simulating this complex process in flowsheet simulations of integrated iron and steelworks is a fast and cost-effective opportunity to validate new operation settings. The implementation of a sinter plant in gPROMS ModelBuilder®characterizes the sintering processes by three main sub-models. A burner model describes the gas combustion, a black-box model consider the main sintering processes, and a wind box model divides the total off-gas into a recycle gas and a stack gas. A specific temperature polynomial represents the temperature distribution across the wind boxes to allow detailed investigations on SWGR in complex flowsheet simulations. Implementing SWGR to the sintering process, the model shows a reduction of coke consumption, stack gas flow rate, and sulfur dioxide emissions by 11%, 27%, and 27%, respectively. In the SWGR scenario, the utilization rate of carbon monoxide increases and less coke is consumed. The chlorine emissions of the sintering process differ with and without SWGR insignificantly.

Occurrence and spatial distribution of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds in topsoil of Taranto (Apulia, Italy) by GC-MS analysis and DR-CALUX® bioassay

The aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence and spatial distribution of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like compounds in topsoils of Taranto (Apulia Region), one of the most heavily industrialized and contaminated area of Southern Italy. A combined approach of chemical analysis by GC-MS/MS and AhR reporter gene bioassay was applied in a subset of topsoil samples (n = 20) collected in 2017-18 from ten sites embracing three levels of risk (from high to low) in the framework of a large survey inside Taranto municipality. TCDD-BEQs and GC-MS/MS TEQWHO and TEQTHEORETICAL revealed a decreasing trend with the distance from main industrial settings and landfill areas. A strong correlation between TCDD-BEQs and TEQWHO values (R2 = 0.85) and TEQTHEORETICAL (R2 = 0.88) was also found. In 3 out of 10 topsoil investigated, BEQs and TEQWHO/THEORETICAL resulted above Italian National Regulatory Limits for ∑PCDD/Fs in green, private and recreational used soils (10 ng TEQ/kg d.w. D.Lgs 152/2006) and for ∑PCDD/F/dl-PCBs in agricultural and farming soil (6 ng TEQ/kg d.w. D.M. 46/2019). GC-MS/MS pattern revealed the highest prevalence of dl-PCBs in 6 out of 10 sites, followed by PCDFs and PCDDs. Those sites are all located in proximity of main industrial steel and iron ore sinter plant, steel plant’s landfills and illegal dumping sites. An update on occurrence and spatial distribution of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs contamination of Taranto urban soils was obtained and the DR-CALUX® bioassay was further recommended as a suitable screening tool for environmental and human risk assessment.

Insight into the application of hydrogen-rich energy in iron ore sintering: Parameters optimization and function mechanism

H2-rich gas has been widely regarded as a promising energy to substitute fossil energy in iron ore sintering process for CO2 reduction. This investigation mainly focused on researching the influences of H2-rich gas injection parameters over sintering bed on sintering performance, and elucidated the potential function mechanism through both experiment and numerical simulation. Results indicated that increasing injection concentration and prolonging injection time within a proper range improved sinter quality, and the recommended value was 0.6∼0.8 % and 8 min, respectively. Injecting H2-rich gas at earlier sintering stages achieved greater improvement in sintering quality compared with the ones injecting at later sintering stages, and the recommended injection area was 5∼13min. Both experiment and numerical simulation results indicated that injecting H2-rich improved the thermal patterns of sintering bed, with extended high-temperature areas for increasing the generation of high-strength calcium ferrite. Especially when injecting H2-rich gas under the recommended parameters, the heat distribution in sintering bed was optimized and the sintering quality of upper sintering layer was obviously improved. Finally, an injection method for guiding the industrial application with its essence to inject H2-rich at earlier sintering stages was proposed. The research findings provide a promising way for the efficient utilization of clean energy in iron ore sintering plants.

Inventory of Polychlorinated Naphthalene Emissions from Waste Incineration and Metallurgical Sources in China.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are highly toxic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are a relatively new addition to the Stockholm Convention as of 2015. The levels of unintentional emissions of PCNs from important industrial thermal sources on national scales are unclear but are important for understanding potential human exposure. In this study, an inventory was compiled of PCN emissions from priority industrial sources of unintentional POPs in China. Estimated emissions from four typical POP sources in the reference year (2014) in China were 511.6 kg by mass and 7650.8 mg of toxic equivalent. Waste incineration, secondary nonferrous smelting, electric arc furnace steelmaking, and iron ore sintering plants contributed 38.8, 15.4, 29.2, and 16.6%, respectively, to the total emissions. The Eastern Seaboard of China and the Hebei region in North China, which have intensive industrial activity and high population densities, were dominant contributors of PCNs. Only 18.6% of the counties where waste incineration plants were located emitted PCNs at a level higher than 1.00 × 10-1 mg of toxic equivalent, whereas 80% of the counties where metallurgical plants were located emitted PCNs at this level. These results indicate effective implementation of POP control in the waste incineration industry in China. This study clarifies the unintentionally emission levels of PCNs in China and provides important information for strategy development to control source emissions.

Thermochemical formation of multiple unintentional persistent organic pollutants on metallurgical fly ash and their correlations

Metallurgical processes are currently the predominant anthropogenic sources of multiple unintentional persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated and brominated PAHs (Cl-PAHs and Br-PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs). Understanding the formation of multiple POPs is important for source control. These POPs could be formed through fly ash-mediated heterogeneous reactions. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the thermochemical (150–450 °C) formation of these POPs on fly ash samples collected from a secondary aluminum smelter, secondary lead smelter, and iron ore sintering plant. The maximum concentrations of PCNs and PCBs were 154.5 and 181.3 times those in the original fly ash, respectively. Formation variations of PAHs, Cl-PAHs and Br-PAHs, and PBDEs were different from that of PCBs and PCNs. The PAHs concentration, which was the highest among the POPs in the original fly ash, decreased sharply by 95% at 150 °C. The ∑19Cl-PAHs and ∑19Br-PAHs increased marginally at 250 °C before decreasing slightly at 350 °C. The PBDE concentrations decreased under 250 °C and increased at 350 °C. PCNs, PCBs, and PCDD/Fs showed good correlations, all of which had a negative relationship with the PAHs. There were no significant correlations between PAHs and Cl/Br-PAHs. Low brominated congeners could be formed by destruction of higher brominated congeners because of thermal instability of the PBDEs.

Levels and fingerprints of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons in fly ashes from the typical industrial thermal processes: Implication for the co-formation mechanism

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) and iron and steel making plants are two of important sources of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons (CAHs). In this study, the typical CAHs including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Cl-PAHs) in fly ash samples collected from MSWI, iron ore sintering (IOS) and steel smelting (SS) plants were simultaneously identified and quantified. The total concentrations of quantified CAHs in different fly ashes showed a large variation (5.88-4255 ng/g). Cl-PAHs were found to be predominant CAH species in most of fly ash samples, and the concentrations of mono-chlorinated PAHs in all fly ashes were obviously higher than those of di-chlorinated PAHs. The fingerprints of CAHs in MSWI fly ashes were mainly characterized by the high content of PCDDs, especially the hexa-CDD homologue. However, in IOS and SS fly ashes, tetra- to hexa-CDF homologues showed the higher abundance, and tetra-to octa-CDFs predominated over tetra- to octa-CDDs by factors of 3-26. The strong concentration correlations were observed between tetra- to octa-CDF homologues, middle-chlorinated PCN and PCB homologues, between tetra- to octa-CDD homologues, between low-chlorinated PCB and PCN homologues, between di-chlorinated PAH homologues, and between deca-CB and highly chlorinated PCN homologues. These results implied that the main formation mechanism of CAHs might be significantly varied with the change of chlorination degree and aromatic ring structure.

Effects of Desulfurization Processes on Polybrominated Dibenzo- p-dioxin and Dibenzofuran Emissions from Iron Ore Sintering.

Installing desulfurization operations and closing outdated facilities can effectively decrease pollutant emissions from iron ore sintering plants (IOSPs). Polybrominated dibenzo- p-dioxin and dibenzofuran (PBDD/F) emissions from different-sized IOSPs with different desulfurization operations were analyzed. The desulfurization operations' PBDD/F removal efficiencies were 53.6%-97.1%, and were higher for wet desulfurization operations than for semidry and dry operations. The removed PBDD/Fs were transferred to the desulfurization products. The removal efficiencies of PBDF homologues increased with the degree of bromination. A PBDD/F emission inventory for Chinese IOSPs was compiled. PBDD/F emissions in stack gases, desulfurization products, and discarded fly ash (previously ignored) from 2003 to 2015 were 1218, 400, and 245 g toxic equivalents, respectively. PBDD/F concentrations in stack gases and fly ash were higher for small IOSPs (<90 m2), indicating the importance of phasing them out. Indeed, in China, such phasing out decreased PBDD/F emissions in stack gases, desulfurization products, and discarded fly ash by 1021, 891, and 3253 g toxic equivalents, respectively, between 2003 and 2015. PBDD/F emissions in stack gases have been controlled in Chinese regions with the highest emissions, but PBDD/F emissions in desulfurization products and fly ash are increasing.

The fingerprint nature of PCDD in iron ore sinter strand emissions, the effect of suppressants and alternative fuels, and the potential for comparison with the isomer profile of PCDF

It has been previously shown that the isomer profile of PCDF emissions from iron ore sinter plant only varies within limits even when suppressants or alternative fuels are added, to the extent that it can be said to have a 'fingerprint'. The isomer profiles of PCDD from tetra- to hexacholrodibenzo-p-dioxin from the same samples examined for PCDF emissions have been obtained, and show the same tendency for a 'fingerprint ' isomer distribution to occur. Occasional exceptionally high isomer abundances are observed, but these are uncommon. The potential for comparison of the abundances of PCDF and PCDD isomers with similar chlorination patterns to determine whether the same formation process is involved has been examined. It is found that co-elutions prevent extensive comparisons irrespective of whether the SP2331 or DB5ms column is used in the analyses for separation of isomers to provide the results used for comparisons, although they allow limited results to be obtained. It is suggested that analyses using the two chromatography columns to analyse the same sample in parallel could provide more resolution of the isomer profiles for use in comparisons. A pilot study using samples analysed using each column is limited because of detailed differences in the emissions profiles, but demonstrates that greater resolution is possible if the two columns are used to analyse one sample.

OFF-GAS DESULFURIZATION WITH SODIUM BICARBONATE FOR IRON ORE SINTER PLANTS: INVESTIGATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE OFF-GAS TEMPERATURE

For dry off-gas desulfurization by chemisorption in iron ore sinter plants hydrated lime is usually used as reactant. In some other off-gas cleaning applications with a gas temperature above 140°C sodium bicarbonate is used instead of hydrated lime. An advantage of sodium bicarbonate is the higher desulfurization efficiency. Additionally, cooling of the off-gas to a temperature below 100°C to achieve satisfactory desulfurization is not required. In sinter plants the off-gas temperature is often below 140°C. Thus, the thermal decomposition of sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate, which increases the specific surface area of the reactant, might be too slow. The aim of this study was to investigate the desulfurization gas with sodium bicarbonate in the typical temperature range of sinter plant off-gas of 110-160°C. The experiments were performed in a small pilot system consisting of an entrained flow reactor and a fabric filter. For the experiments a mixture of sulfur dioxide in air was used. The results showed that the efficiency of the desulfurization was only slightly reduced at the lower temperature of 110°C. However, at lower temperatures it takes longer after start-up of the system to reach stable conditions. At first, the efficiency is lower, but it seems that this is nearly compensated for by reaction in the filter cake, which builds up at the filter. Therefore, sodium bicarbonate is a feasible reactant for the desulfurization of sinter plant off-gas. Article DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/mijst.2017.32.1625 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

Dose assessment from chronic exposure to industrial NORM in iron ore processing

Radiological exposures due to naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) can occur during a wide range of work-related activities in the mineral processing and chemical industries. However, evaluation of such exposures in industrial settings remains a difficult exercise owing inter alia to the large number of personnel, operations and plants affected; assumptions that often have to be made concerning the actual duration and frequency of exposures; the complex chemistry and radioactive disequilibria involved and typically, the paucity of historical data. In our study, the challenges associated with assessing chronic exposure to fugitive dust enriched in 210Pb and 210Po and the determination of the associated internal dose by inhalation and ingestion are described by reference to a case study undertaken at an iron ore sintering plant between June 2013 and July 2015. The applicability of default dose coefficients and biokinetic models provided by the International Commission for Radiological Protection was verified by combining air and dust monitoring with information on the characteristics of the aerosols and in-vitro solubility experiments. The disparity between particulate matter 100 microns or less in diameter (PM100), particulate matter 10 microns or less in diameter (PM10) and 210Pb/210Po activity concentrations observed over the different monitoring campaigns and sampling locations confirmed that use positional short-term monitoring surveys to extrapolate intake over a year was not appropriate and could lead to unrealistic intake and dose figures. Personal air sampling is more appropriate for estimating the dose in such situations, though it is not always practical and may collect insufficient quantities of material for radiochemical analysis; this is an important constraint when dealing with low specific activity materials.

Characteristics of PM2.5 from iron ore sintering process: Influences of raw materials and controlling methods

The study was carried out on elucidating the influences of raw materials on the characteristics of PM2.5 and measures for reducing its emissions. Four typical kinds of raw materials designated as scheme-1, scheme-2, scheme-3 and scheme-4, which were selected from four integrate steelworks and characterized gradually increased contents of K, Pb and Cl, were used in this investigation. The results showed that the emission concentration of PM2.5 from scheme-1 to scheme-4 exhibited an increasing tendency, and PM2.5 took up the major part of PM10, which even accounted for about 80% for the scheme-4. The contents of K and Pb increased continuously in PM2.5 from scheme-1 to scheme-4, and they existed mainly in the form of KCl and PbCl2 due to chlorination reactions. K-Pb-Cl accounted for more than 90% of the total mass of PM2.5 from scheme-4. Well positive correlation existed between the emission concentration of K, Pb and Cl, and their contents in raw materials. Based on this relationship, the iron-bearing materials from scheme-4 were classified into high K/Pb ores and high Cl ores. Applying separate granulation to granulate them separately showed that the removal ratios of K and Pb were effectively decreased due to restrained chlorination reactions, which resulted in the efficient reduction of PM2.5 by 42.6%. Since separate granulation showed marginal influence on sintering performance, it can be used as a potentially promising way to control PM2.5 emissions in industrial-scale iron ore sintering plants.

Dioxin emission from some metallurgical processes

Results of the measurements of emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in two metallurgical plants representing ferrous metallurgy (an iron ore sintering plant) and non-ferrous metallurgy (a secondary copper smelter) are discussed in the paper. In the case of the secondary copper smelter dioxin concentrations were determined in the range from 0.03 to 8.1 ng TEQ/Nm3 and high variability of emissions was observed, which did not depend on the composition of material fed and the stage of smelting. In the case of measurements carried out in the iron ore sintering plant the concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 1.7 ng TEQ/Nm3. It was found additionally that a well-functioning electrostatic precipitator could reduce PCDD/Fs emissions even by 75% (with respect to the total mass of congeners), while off-gas recirculation had no significant effect on the emissions. The paper contains original results of dioxin emission measurements from a secondary copper smelter plant and an iron ore sintering plant in Poland. In the first plant, high variability of flue gas flow and concentrations of dioxins between successive batches as well as within a single smelting process was found. This problem has never been described in the literature. In the second plant, great stability of dioxin emissions from the iron ore sintering plant and high emission reduction efficiency (about 70%) of dioxins by an electrostatic precipitator were observed. No significant effect of gas recirculation on the PCDD/Fs emission was reported.

Dioxin emission from some metallurgical processes

Results of the measurements of emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in two metallurgical plants representing ferrous metallurgy (an iron ore sintering plant) and non-ferrous metallurgy (a secondary copper smelter) are discussed in the paper. In the case of the secondary copper smelter dioxin concentrations were determined in the range from 0.03 to 8.1 ng TEQ/Nm3 and high variability of emissions was observed, which did not depend on the composition of material fed and the stage of smelting. In the case of measurements carried out in the iron ore sintering plant the concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 1.7 ng TEQ/Nm3. It was found additionally that a well-functioning electrostatic precipitator could reduce PCDD/Fs emissions even by 75% (with respect to the total mass of congeners), while off-gas recirculation had no significant effect on the emissions. The paper contains original results of dioxin emission measurements from a secondary copper smelter plant and an iron ore sintering plant in Poland. In the first plant, high variability of flue gas flow and concentrations of dioxins between successive batches as well as within a single smelting process was found. This problem has never been described in the literature. In the second plant, great stability of dioxin emissions from the iron ore sintering plant and high emission reduction efficiency (about 70%) of dioxins by an electrostatic precipitator were observed. No significant effect of gas recirculation on the PCDD/Fs emission was reported.

Atmospheric occurrence and health risks of PCDD/Fs, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polychlorinated naphthalenes by air inhalation in metallurgical plants.

Metallurgical plants are important sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). It is significant to evaluate the air levels and human risks of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PCNs in metallurgical plants considering their adverse effects on human health and thousands of metallurgical plants being in operation in China. The estimated inhalation intakes of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PCNs together in eight iron ore sintering plants, three secondary copper plants, four secondary aluminum plants, and one secondary lead plant were 4.9-213.4, 21.4-4026.4, 28.7-630, and 11.7fgTEQkg-1day-1, respectively, and the corresponding cancer risks were estimated to be 8.7×10-7 to 3.8×10-5, 5.1×10-6 to 1.1×10-4, 3.8×10-6 to 7.1×10-4, and 2.1×10-6, respectively. The estimated cancer risk were higher than 100 per million people for three secondary aluminum and copper smelters among the sixteen metallurgical plants, indicating high cancer risks. Stack gas samples from metallurgical plants were also collected and analyzed for comparing their emission profiles with that of air samples. The comparison of PCDD/F, PCB and PCN profiles between air samples and stack gas samples by similarity calculation and principal component analysis suggested the influence of stack gas emissions from metallurgical plants on surrounding air. These results are helpful for understanding the exposure risk to PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PCNs in numerous metallurgical plants being operation in China.

Gas-phase and particle-phase PCDD/F congener distributions in the flue gas from an iron ore sintering plant

The activated carbon injection-circulating fluidized bed (ACI-CFB)-bag filter coupling technique was studied in an iron ore sintering plant. For comparison, the removal efficiencies under the conditions without or with ACI technology were both evaluated. It was found that the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) removal efficiency for total international toxic equivalence quantity (I-TEQ) concentration was improved from 91.61% to 97.36% when ACI was employed, revealing that ACI was very conducive to further controlling the PCDD/F emissions. Detailed congener distributions of PCDD/Fs in the gas-phase and particle-phase of the Inlet and Outlet samples were determined. Additionally, the PCDD/F distribution for the Fly ash-with ACI sample of was also studied.

The polychlorinated dibenzofuran fingerprint of iron ore sinter plant: Its persistence with suppressant and alternative fuel addition

An earlier demonstration that the relative concentrations of isomers of polychlorinated dibenzofuran do not vary as the flamefront of an iron ore sinter plant progresses through the bed, and profiles are similar for two sinter strands has been widened to include studies of the similarity or otherwise between full scale strand and sinter pot profiles, effect of addition of suppressants and of coke fuel substitution with other combustible materials. For dioxin suppressant addition, a study of the whole of the tetra- penta- and hexaCDF isomer range as separated by the DB5MS chromatography column, indicates no significant change in profile: examination of the ratios of the targeted penta- and hexaCDF isomers suggests the profile is similarly unaffected by coke fuel replacement. Addition of KCl at varied levels has also been shown to have no effect on the ‘fingerprint’ and there is no indication of any effect by the composition of the sinter mix. The recently published full elution sequence for the DB5MS column is applied to the results obtained using this column.It is confirmed that isomers with 1,9-substitution of chlorine atoms are invariably formed in low concentrations. This is consistent with strong interaction between the 1 and 9 substituted chlorine atoms predicted by DFT thermodynamic calculations. Non-1,9-substituted PCDF equilibrium isomer distributions based on DFT-derived thermodynamic data differ considerably from stack gas distributions obtained using SP2331 column separation. A brief preliminary study indicates the same conclusions (apart from the 1,9-interaction effect) hold for the much smaller content of PCDD.

Characterization and mass balance of trace elements in an iron ore sinter plant

Environmental legislation is becoming more restrictive in several industrial sectors, especially in the steel industry, which is well known for its large pollution potential. With the recent growth of interest in effects of trace elements on the environment and health, the inclusion of emission limits on these elements in this legislation has become increasingly popular. This article aims to describe the partitioning of trace elements between the products (sinter) and plant emissions in an iron ore sinter plant, aiming to better understand the behavior of these elements in the sintering process to eventually support interventions to modify these partitions. Chemical characterization of several sintering inputs was initially performed, revealing that the steel-making residues contained large concentrations of trace elements, whereas low concentrations were observed in the flux. Based on the trace element concentrations, we analyzed the injection of trace elements in a sintering pilot using a sintering mixture. Mass balance was then used to determine the theoretical partitioning of trace elements in the sinter and emissions; cadmium, nickel, lead, mercury, and copper exhibited greater tendencies to concentrate in atmospheric emissions.