Advanced Technological Solutions for Steel Production with Scrap Contaminated by Copper

摘要

Until now there are no reliable methods to control the copper content in the metal during steelmaking processes except dilution technique. Thus there is a problem when steel scrap contains excessive copper. Numerous trials have not created a commercial technology for copper removal from the iron melts. The most investigated methods are evaporation technique and copper extraction to a sulfide phase. The last one was chosen for development and new technique was created. It includes such stages as saturation of the iron melt with sulfur, stimulation of sulfide inclusions formation in the volume of metal and further removal of the sulfide phase. Tests revealed that the least 50 percent of copper can be removed from the metal during a sulfide treatment. Filtration allows raising of the process effectiveness up to 70-80 percent . Moreover it was found that solid adsorptive agent injection into iron melt can ensure an effective copper removal without preliminary sulfide treatment. Promising material for refining agent is spinel on the base of alumina and zinc oxide.