Characterization of blast furnace dust for reintroduction into the agglomeration process

Abstract

Significant amounts of dust from the processing of cast iron in the furnace can be considered as by-products for the technological flow from the agglomeration, having an adequate chemical and structural composition. Blast furnace dust contains significant amounts of metals and non-metals that can be recovered by various processing methods. The transformation of these recyclable materials for reuse into metal producing units is essential not only for the conservation of mineral resources but also for the protection of the environment. This paper presents the chemical and mineralogical characterization of blast furnace dust resulting from the processing of cast iron, a useful analysis for this material to be reintroduced into the agglomeration process. From the obtained results it was found that the blast furnace dust contains significant amounts of SiO2 in fine granular form (<1 mm) which determines a fluidization of the slag resulting from the production of cast iron in the blast furnace, as well as the fact that it helps to form the binder phases in the agglomerate due to the fact that the powders have a high thermo-chemical activity that can be considered a first phase of formation of the initial liquid melt that triggers the reaction between melt and solid.