Recent Improvements in Integrated Zinc Control and Dust/Sludge Recycling at China Steel

In an integrated steel mill, zinc (Zn) inputs from raw materials and steel scrap are enriched in the dusts and sludges collected from gas and water cleaning systems. The reuse of these dusts and sludges must be controlled within certain limit to avoid Zn accumulation and related operational problems in blast furnace. An integrated system has been established at China Steel Corporation (CSC) to enhance the internal reuse of Zn-containing dust/sludge while keeping Zn input within control lim it. However. the performance of this system has not been very satisfactory until one and half years ago when a rationalization process was initiated. The essence of this rationalization process, the recent improvements in Zn control and dust and sludge reuse are reported and discussed.