• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.44-51
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• 2022

In the steelmaking process using an electric arc furnace (EAF), light-burnt dolomite, which is a flux containing MgO, is used to protect refractory materials and improve desulfurization ability. Furthermore, a recarburizing agent is added to reduce energy consumption via slag foaming and to induce the deoxidation effect. Herein, a waste MgO-C based refractory material was used to achieve the aforementioned effects economically. The waste MgO-C refractory materials contain a significant amount of MgO and graphite components; however, most of these materials are currently discarded instead of being recycled. The mass recycling of waste MgO-C refractory materials would be achievable if their applicability as a flux for steelmaking is proven. Therefore, experiments were performed using a target composition range similar to the commercial EAF slag composition. A pre-melted base slag was prepared by mixing SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and FeO in an alumina crucible and heating at 1450℃ for 1 h or more. Subsequently, a mixed flux #2 (a mixture of light-burnt dolomite, waste MgO-C based refractory material, and limestone) was added to the prepared pre-melted base slag and a melting reaction test was performed. Injecting the pre-melted base slag with the flux facilitates the formation of the target EAF slag. These results were compared with that of mixed flux #1 (a mixture of light-burnt dolomite and limestone), which is a conventional steelmaking flux, and the possibility of replacement was evaluated. To obtain a reliable evaluation, characterization techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry were used, and slag foam height, slag basicity, and Fe recovery were calculated.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.53-60
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• 2021

In EAF steelmaking industries, MgO content in slag increases due to the addition of dolomite flux to protect refractory lines of furnaces and improve the desulfurization capability of slag. In addition, coal powder is injected in the molten steel bath to increase the energy efficiency of the process. In this regard, the utilization of waste MgO-C refractory material as a flux was examined because it has high amounts of MgO (>70%) and graphite carbon (>10%). A series of experiments were carried out using industrial EAF slag with added light burnt dolomite and waste MgO refractory material from a Korean steel company. The results for the addition of the two fluxes were similar in terms of slag basicity; therefore, it is expected that waste MgO-C refractory material can successfully replace dolomite flux. In addition, when the waste MgO-C refractory material was added as flux, slag foaming phenomenon was demonstrated because of the reaction between the graphite from the refractory material and iron oxides in the slag.