This paper presents the influence of drying temperature and atmosphere on the mechanical strength of iron-ore agglomerates and sodium silicates. Mixtures of different pellet feed and sodium silicates were produced with a ball disc and cured at various temperatures. The resulting products exhibited sufficiently high mechanical strength to be transported over long distances and handled until their use in sintering processes. The agglomerates were dried/cured at temperatures between 100-550 degrees C and in gaseous atmospheres consisting of air and/or carbon dioxide. During this process, a strong influence of both temperature and atmosphere on the compression strength after contact with water, as well as on the morphology of the sodium silicates, was observed. The use of carbon dioxide atmosphere during drying proved effective for achieving high mechanical strength after water immersion. A phenomenological approach was developed to explain the results in order to connect morphology and mechanical properties.