An Innovative Approach Toward Enhancing the Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Resource Recovery from Hazardous Zn-Bearing Dusts from Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking

Timur B. Khaidarov, Rita Khanna (), Bekzod B. Khaidarov, Kejiang Li, Dmitrii S. Suvorov, Dmitrii A. Metlenkin, Igor N. Burmistrov, Alexander V. Gorokhovsky, Sergey V. Volokhov and Denis V. Kuznetsov
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Timur B. Khaidarov: Department of Functional Nanosystems and High-Temperature Materials, National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, 119049 Moscow, Russia
Rita Khanna: School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Bekzod B. Khaidarov: Department of Functional Nanosystems and High-Temperature Materials, National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, 119049 Moscow, Russia
Kejiang Li: School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Dmitrii S. Suvorov: Department of Functional Nanosystems and High-Temperature Materials, National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, 119049 Moscow, Russia
Dmitrii A. Metlenkin: Engineering Center, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, 115054 Moscow, Russia
Igor N. Burmistrov: Department of Functional Nanosystems and High-Temperature Materials, National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, 119049 Moscow, Russia
Alexander V. Gorokhovsky: Department of Functional Nanosystems and High-Temperature Materials, National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, 119049 Moscow, Russia
Sergey V. Volokhov: Directorate for Technical Development and Quality (DTRK), PJSC “Severstal”, 162608 Cherepovets, Russia
Denis V. Kuznetsov: Department of Functional Nanosystems and High-Temperature Materials, National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, 119049 Moscow, Russia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: An innovative approach is reported for recovering Fe and Zn resources from hazardous zinc-bearing electric arc furnace dusts (ZBDs) in a sustainable manner. A combination of carbothermal and H 2 reduction were used to overcome challenges associated with the high temperatures of carbothermal reduction and the high costs/limited supplies of hydrogen. In-depth reduction studies were carried out using zinc-rich (17 wt.%), iron-poor (35 wt.%) ZBD; coke oven battery dry quenching dust (CDQD) was used as reductant. Briquettes were prepared by mixing ZBD and CDQD powders in a range of proportions; heat treatments were carried out in flowing H 2 gas at 700 °C–900 °C for 4 h. The reduced products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The Fe content of the reduced briquettes showed increases between 50 and 150%, depending on composition and reduction temperature; Zn, Pb, Cl, Na, K and S were completely absent. The gaseous elements were collected in cooled traps at the furnace outlet to recover metallic zinc and other phases. The volatile products collected at the outlet (900 °C) contained more than 70% zinc and 6% lead; small amounts of zinc were also present in the metallic phase. The processing temperatures were significantly lower in the combined approach as compared to 100% carbothermal reduction. While reducing energy consumption and limiting the generation of greenhouse gases, this approach has the potential for enhancing the reutilization of hazardous industrial wastes, resource recovery, and economic and environmental sustainability.

Keywords: hydrogen reduction; electric arc furnace dust; zinc-bearing dusts; carbothermal reduction; hazardous wastes; GHG emissions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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