Thanks all of you for your contributions.
In our process we fluidize iron ore with a CO/H2 reach gas as reducing agent. This is to produce directly reduced iron (DRI) 92% metalised for steel production. The gas also contains CO2, CH4 and N2.
Lignosulfonate as recently been adopted as a mean of dust control at the iron ore stockyard.
Coincidentally exactly at the time this product was adopted we are now having clustering of our product. Clustering is making our operation very difficult.
Can this product cause this clustering effect?
Just for interest: the shaft is at about 800 deg. C
Localized overheating can cause clustering. Clustering can also be caused by some form of oxidation however the atmosphere is highly reducing in the shaft.