Recycling of ladle slag in the EAF: A way to improve environmental conditions and reduce variable costs in steel plants

A detailed metallurgical study of ladle slag and its interaction with the powder in the Italic electric steelmaking industry is presented. The majority of the waste material of the recycling process is ladle slag, or the slag that remains in the ladle after the casting process, and all the refractory material of the ladle after its usual life cycle. The experimental tests were performed at Ferriere Nord SpA and the results of the recycling simulation led to the implementation of an industrial-scale prototype plant. The plant is able to treat and inject into the electric arc furnace (EAF) the basic mixture made from ladle slag, tundish, and ladle refractory, EAF bottom refractory and swept fines. The metallurgical simulation with the data from Stefana indicates that it is possible to recycle at a rate of about 1600 kg/heat the powder mix into the EAF slag, which saves at least 800 kg of lime per heat.