An aspect provides a method of treating direct reduced iron (DRI) pellets, by applying a foam to the DRI pellets. The foam may include a foam having an expansion ratio of about 20-40 and a bubble size of about 200 microns or less. The foam may include one or more additives, such as anti-corrosion agent(s), oxidizing agents, and dust reducing binder(s). The foam(s) may be applied in a single stage or in multiple stages and may be applied to hot or cold DRI pellets. Other aspects are described and claimed.