Raw material stockpiles are utilized for storage and blending purposes in most sections of the processing industry, being an integral part of the raw material preparation and processing stage of, for example, iron and steel manufacture, coke plants and coal washeries and in cement manufacture.
A common feature and basic requirement of the raw material stockpile is to even out and reduce the variation or variability in some inherent or intrinsic raw material physical or chemical quality. In this respect, the stockpile has a dual role within the overall preparation system, being a storage unit in addition to its capacity and capability for blending and homogenization. As an intermediate buffer storage device, production activities in the quarry and in subsequent processing stages need not be related and a constant supply of raw materials to the process is ensured.
Good overall input/output raw material variability reduction can be achieved if correct layout or stacking is employed and hence raw materials from poorer deposits with large scale heterogeneity can be utilized.
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