Only Plastic
EAF working with polymers derived from plastic residue in substitution of fossil fuel
Objective
Alternative materials able to replace fossil carbon sources is a topic of great interest among European steel mills. EU Blast Furnaces already use granulated polymers from plastic residue (SRA) to replace coal, while their use has been tested in EAF only as lump material charged in buckets demonstrating several advantages with respect other alternative sources:
- Higher heating value and carbon content
- Higher material availability
- Integration, rather than competition, with existing recycling treatment, with focus on the materials with low economic value and high carbon and hydrogen content
- Available Technical Specification UNI 10667-17 defining polymers derived from plastic residue as a product (not a waste) addressed as Steel Reducing Agent (SRA).
Benefits
The expected benefits are:
- Natural resources preservation by plastic recycling (circular economy): 100% of coal used in EAF will be substituted
- Reduction of
CO2 emission due to:
- the contribution to iron oxide reduction reaction of the hydrogen contained in the plastic material
- the reduction of specific electrical consumption (3%)
- Reduction of cost index (lower cost of SRA respect to coal).
Project Coordinator
RINA CSM SPA
Partners
FERALPI SIDERURGICA SPA
TENOVA SPA
I.BLU
