Process Development for Integrated Use of Metallurgical Production Wastes

Abstract

A physicochemical mechanism was studied for carbon thermal reduction of zinc and iron oxides from blast furnace slurries as well as from gas cleaning unit dusts of steelmaking furnaces. With the use of the kinetic analysis the optimal conditions were defined for the carbon thermal reduction as well as the initial data for the development of the joint carbon thermal reduction processes of zinc and iron oxides. An appropriate and clean process was developed; it allows pellet production from zinc containing dusts and their processing in a rotating furnace with an almost complete zinc rundown and trapping in the hose filters; while the metallic iron remaining in the pellets may be used for conversion. The data obtained through the industrial testing confirms the appropriateness of the process implementation and allows the cost effectiveness analysis of the zinc containing dust reclaiming.