Recycling of steelworks refractories: processing and properties

Abstract

The maintenance of several steel-making equipment of the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN/Brazil) builds up about 11 000 tons of refractory waste per year. Most of that refractory waste is disposed off in landfill sites without any application. That action permanently excludes an important alternative source of raw material from the productive cycle. In this context, in the particular case in CSN, all critical points of the generation cycle and recycling of refractory waste were investigated, aiming to use these residues as reprocessed raw material in the Refractory Industry – reverse logistics. The project implementation, through an integrated solution, was technically and financially feasible with an economic return of about US$ 1 million per year in terms of net present value. The reuse of this refractory waste also minimises the environmental impact generated by the production, consumption and disposal of refractory materials from steel production.