Reduction of iron oxides in solid wastes generated by steelworks

Solid wastes generated by integrated iron and steel works cause environmental pollution and therefore must be discarded accordingly. Extensive research is being conducted for the recovery and elimination of the iron oxide that these wastes contain. The production of sponge iron from these wastes could be considered a method of beneficiation. In this study, the reduction of cold-bonded pellets produced from the solid wastes of Ereǧli Integrated Iron and Steel Works (ERDEMIR), using different reducing agents, was investigated. A rotary furnace was utilized for this purpose and the effects of different reducing agents, the ratio of C_fix / Fe_total, temperature and time on the reduction were studied. The kinetics of the reduction process were also investigated and the data obtained were correlated with the Ginstling-Brounshtein model. The activation energy of the reduction was found to be 48.5 kJ/mol.