What is DRI?
DRI (Direct Reduced Iron), also known as sponge iron, has become central to the Steel industry’s low-carbon transition. Produced in gas-based shaft furnaces, it achieves lower CO₂ emissions, high metallization, and stable furnace performance compared to traditional blast furnaces. Yet, steel production generates large amounts of DRI fines that are difficult to handle and recycle directly, leading to operational and economic losses.
Briquetting with suitable binders provides an effective agglomeration solution. By converting DRI powder into strong, durable briquettes, the material can be reintegrated into reduction furnaces or steelmaking processes without compromising furnace stability. In practice, during DRI production, processes such as grinding and magnetic separation generate large amounts of fine magnetic powder (typically <3 mm). Instead of being discarded, these DRI fines can be efficiently recovered through cold briquetting with high-performance binders, ensuring their reuse in ironmaking and steelmaking.
This article will guide you through the best binder solutions for DRI fines briquetting, helping to improve resource efficiency, enhance steel production performance, and support sustainable metallurgy.
The Use of DRI Fines Briquettes in Steel Production
EAF / BOF / BF charging
DRI fines Briquettes are widely used in steelmaking processes such as EAFs and BOFs, and can also be included in the blast furnace ironmaking burden to increase the metallization of the charge.
Coolant and diluent roles
In converters furnaces, sponge iron powder briquettes act as coolants that temper molten steel without significantly raising carbon; in special-steel melts they serve as diluents to maintain purity and fine-tune chemistry, supporting both productivity and green steelmaking.
Sponge iron vs. Scrap iron and Pig iron
Compared with scrap iron,sponge iron fines briquettes are purer, more consistent, and require no cutting, helping avoid cycle extensions from inclusions/impurities. Compared with pig iron, they bring far less carbon and fewer S/P impurities, reducing reblows and composition swings, while typically being more cost-effective.
Why Briquette DRI Fines in Steel Production
Cut handling and storage losses
DRI fines (Direct Reduced Iron fines) have high surface area and are prone to dusting and leakage, causing transport losses estimated at 3–7% (more details at MIDREX data. Briquetting converts fines into dense, uniform agglomeration briquettes, typically reducing losses to <1% and sharply limiting re-oxidation during storage, ensuring better utilization in steelmaking and ironmaking.
Improve melting efficiency and metal recovery
Loose DRI fines can be carried away by high-velocity gas flows during pneumatic handling, leading to fines generation of 8–10% (according to MIDREX data） Consequently, by converting fines into briquettes, iron recovery in the molten pool can exceed 95%, significantly reducing raw material loss.and lowering raw-material consumption per ton of steel. Their stable flow also prevents bridging/clumping, enabling precise automated charging in steel production.
Stabilize steel quality and composition
Briquetting, especially when using“sealed pressing combined with surface curing” with high-performance binders, minimizes moisture and dust pickup while keeping sulfur and phosphorus stable at low levels. In addition, alloying agents such as Si, Mn, and Cr or desulfurizers like CaO can be pre-dosed into briquettes, ensuring uniform dissolution and reducing segregation.
Strengthen safety and environmental compliance
Dramatically lower dust emissions and mitigate oxidation/self-heating risks, improving workplace safety and easing compliance.
Make binders work harder for you
Appropriate binders lift cold/hot strength, thermal stability, and redox behavior, ensuring durability through logistics and consistent metallurgical performance at the furnace.
Transforming DRI Fines into Strong Briquettes with Binder Innovations
Technical Challenges in Briquetting of DRI Fines
Cold briquetting of DRI fines in modern steelmaking and ironmaking requires briquettes to achieve sufficient cold and hot strength to withstand storage, transport, and furnace charging without breaking. At the same time, impurities must remain minimal to avoid negative effects on molten steel quality. Consistent particle size and stable formability are also essential to ensure efficient reduction inside the furnace. These challenges place high demands on the performance of binders.
Jianjie Binders Empower DRI Fines Briquettes with Strength and Reliability
Conventional binders often face a trade-off: some lack sufficient strength, causing briquettes to break easily, while others introduce impurities such as silica, compromising furnace stability and metal recovery. This makes them less suitable for high-performance steelmaking processes, including green steelmaking initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
Jianjie’s DRI fines briquetting binders are formulated with organic materials, enhanced with tackifiers, reinforcing agents, and modifiers. This delivers:
- High bonding strength and cold-setting performance to ensure durable, uniform briquettes
- Customizable formulations tailored to specific raw materials and process needs
- Minimal impurities, preserving steel purity and reducing waste
- Stable process operation, improving furnace efficiency and supporting low-carbon steelmaking
Conclusion
Sponge iron powder briquetting has become an essential step in unlocking the full potential of DRI for steelmaking. reduce material losses, improve furnace efficiency, and maintain steel quality, all while meeting environmental and safety standards. DRI fines briquetting binders,play a central role in ensuring briquettes achieve the required strength, purity, and consistency for efficient operation.
That said, the “best” binder is not one-size-fits-all. Each steel plant has its own raw material characteristics, furnace setup, and production goals, which means selecting the right binder solution is crucial to achieving both technical and economic benefits. I hope this article has given you a clearer perspective on the role of binders in sponge iron briquetting and how they can support your steel production needs.
If you’d like to explore binder options tailored to your operation or discuss specific challenges in DRI briquetting, feel free to reach out to our team—we’d be glad to help.
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