EAF Dust Recycling Technology in Japan

1. EAF Dust in Japan - Generation and Characteristics. The quantity of dust generated from EAF shops in Japan was estimated to be 520,000 tons/year in 1999. Extremely fine dust (or fume) is formed in the EAF by metal vaporization. Its characteristics such as chemical compositions, phases, particle size, leaching of heavy metal are mentioned. 2. EAF Dust Treatment Methods in Japan. In 1999, 61% of EAF dust was treated by regional zinc recovery processing routes, 25% went to landfill disposal, 4% was reused as cement material, and 10% was treated by on-site processing routes. The problems of EAF dust treatment methods in Japan are: (1) very high treatment cost, and (2) heavy environmental load (leaching of heavy metal, emission of dioxins, depletion of disposal sites, etc). It has been much hoped for that new dust management technology would be developed. 3. New technology of EAF dust treatment in Japan. In Japan, some new technologies of EAF dust treatment have been developed, and some others are in the developing stages. Following five processes are mentioned:. (1) Smelting reduction process by Kawasaki Steel, (2) DSM process by Daido Steel, (3) VHR process by Aichi Steel, (4) On-site dust direct recycling technology, and (5) Process technology of direct separation and recovery of iron and zinc metals contained in high temperature EAF off gas by the Japan Research and Development Center fur Metals.