Ferrous scrap is the second most vital input after iron ore for steel making. It is an important metallic feed for electric steel making which constitutes 31.7 percent of the world crude steel production. Presently, the consumption of scrap is about 894.74 Kg in electric steel making & 129.74 Kg in Basic Oxygen steel making per ton of crude steel produced. The pattern of scrap consumption in various processes is illustrated in Fig.1. which reveal the profound influence of electric steel making. In 2005, 323 million tons of ferrous scrap was consumed in electric steel making followed by 100 million tons in basic oxygen steel making, 15 million tons in other steel making processes & 30 million tons in foundries. About 93.59 percent of the ferrous scrap is consumed for steel making & the remaining in foundries. 42.7 percent of recycled steel has been used in crude steel production globally in 2005 which is 0.4 percent more than that in 2004. The advent of continuous casting which accounts for a staggering 90.7 percent of the global crude steel output has reduced drastically internal scrap generation in steel plants. Increased demand of scrap due to higher steel production in China and South East Asian countries Korea led to evolution of alternatives to scrap like sponge iron.
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