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).

ONLYPLASTIC aims to substitute in the Feralpi Lonato EAF all the fossil carbon sources (coal, coke, pet coke), injected and charged as reducing and foaming agent, with densified polymers derived from plastic residue. To reach the optimal use of granulated SRA the following activities are foreseen:

• Realization of a prototypes for granulated SRA handling and transportation
• Realization of a charging system for SRA in the buckets
• Design of a new injection system customized on the granulated SRA obtained in agreement with UNI 10667-17 specifications
• Investigation of the possibility to inject SRA blended/mixed with other materials
• Operative practices optimization of the process with new materials