Pellets are made from soft iron ore (concentrate) and other additives that are initially raw, then heated, and finally hardened. They are used for regeneration in both classic blast furnace iron production and several direct regeneration techniques.
Iron fines from mines or beneficiated iron ore are used to make iron ore pellets. The iron is often crushed to an extremely fine consistency and combined with bentonite or other organic binders as a binding agent and limestone or dolomite as a fluxing agent. Coke or anthracite coal can be added to the mixture if the ore is hematite to act as an internal fuel to aid in lighting the pellets. This mixture is mixed well in a mixer before being fed to balling discs or drums to create green pellets, which are generally 9 to 16 mm in size.