MICROSTRUCTURAL EVALUATION OF CLAYEY CERAMIC INCORPORATED WITH POWDER WASTE FROM THE SINTERING PLANT OF A STEEL-MAKING INDUSTRY

摘要

Steel making in integrated plants involves several stages from the feeds tock preparation, by sintering or pelleting of the iron ore, to the rolling of the steel sheets. In any of these stages wastes are generated and unless recycled or used as by product, they will cause serious environmental problems. Therefore, this work has as its objective to evaluate the effect of incorporation of 20 wt.% of the powder waste, particulate material, retained in the eletrostatic precipitator equipment of the sintering stage from an integrated steel making plant on the microstructure a clayey ceramic fired at 1050°C. The microstructure of the fired ceramics was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and mercury porosimetry. The results showed that in the investigated temperature the waste increased the porosity of the clayey ceramic as well as introduced defects in the microstructure of the ceramic.