▎ 摘　　要

NOVELTY - Binder composition comprises 0.2-2 wt.% starch, 0.05-1.5 wt.% sodium hydroxide, 0.1-3.5 wt.% sodium silicate, and iron bearing fines making up the remainder. USE - The composition is useful for: pelletizing iron bearing fines; and induration process (all claimed). ADVANTAGE - The composition: has configured lower temperature induration, and improvements in metallurgical properties e.g. compressive strength, reduction degradation Index (RDI), abrasion index, reducibility, swelling, density and porosity using temperatures below 1200° C; avoids or largely reduces the necessity to grind the pellet feed and to fire the pellets at high temperature; allows producing pellets of sufficient mechanical resistance to permit handling, transportation; lowers electrical and thermal energy consumption; and lowers greenhouse gas emissions; and allows energy savings in the process by indurating at temperatures much lower than in the conventional process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDNET CLAIMS are also included for: Green pellets comprising the composition, where the green pellets are dried and hardened (liquid phase sintering) using forced flow of air at low temperatures of 100-200° C or by natural convection at room temperature; induration process in traveling grate furnace comprising avoiding use of hearth layer and producing pellets exhibiting at least one of compressive strength and resilience (drop resistance) greater than 70 kgf, porosity (open and closed) of less than 20%, and diameter of 818 mm; and pelletizing iron bearing fines comprising combining 0.2-20 wt.% starch, 0.05-1.5 wt.% sodium hydroxide, 0.1-3.5 wt.% sodium silicate, and the bulk provided by iron bearing fines, mixing the iron bearing fines with the sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate and starch to produce mixture, and rolling the mixture in balling discs or drums to form green pellets. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows flowchart of first and second embodiments of the lower temperature pelletizing process.