Technological aspects of the processing of technogenic wastes in converters

It is proposed that many idled steel furnaces in Russia be modified to make use of solid industrial, household wastes and low-grade fuel as raw materials and charge components. Unused steel converter capacity especially could be used to recycle waste and produce commercial products. However, environmentally clean melting of solid carbon-bearing metallic waste (technogenic) charges requires modification of the converter combustion and melting process. By melting technogenic charges in a slag melt outside the area of contact with the combustion flame oxidation loss of iron was negligible and dust in the flue gas was absent. Heat balance studies showed that 26-36% of the heat is consumed by heating of the metallic charge, 10-20% by the heating of the bubbled gas and 55-60% during tilting of the converter. The higher the rate of charging, the smaller the heat loss and the greater the amount of heat used for melting. Recommendations are made for oxidation-reduction refining operations involving slag-fuel heating to processs technogenic charge in converters.