Objetivo
In many Member States, Community directives on air quality and industrial pollution have resulted in the publication and promulgation of laws and regulations designed gradually to limit over time the types and concentrations of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere.
In order to comply with these, the Community's steel industries must introduce further methods and systems designed to reduce emissions of pollutants from their plants, particularly sintering plants, which because of CO, NOx and SO2 and particulate emissions are one of the main sources of atmospheric pollution in the steel industry.
Projects already completed or currently in progress indicate that the most technically efficient and cost-effective ways of reducing emissions of pollutants are basically to modify the production process to limit emissions of CO, NOx and SO2 and to modify waste gas scrubbing systems to limit particulate emissions.
On the basis of the results of Phase I of this project, a pilot sintering plant was studied to determine the effects on emissions of a number of changes to the sintering mix and the process itself.
These changes consisted of:
- including in the mix special components to affect the initial oxidization level, making it possible to carry out the sintering process with a reduced coke consumption and consequently lower CO, NOx and SO2 emissions;
- using steam blown directly onto the sinter bed to improve coke consumption in the high-temperature area;
- adding to the fine coke (0-3 mm) catalysers which can improve combustion kinetics.
The pilot tests showed that although the use of reagent catalysers may have positive effects on sinter productivity it is not very effective in reducing emissions of gaseous pollutants during the process.
On the other hand, blowing steam on to the sinter bed did result in a significant reduction in emissions of CO (down by 25%) and NOx (down by 11%) while at the same time increasing sinter productivity (up to approximately 5%) and reducing specific consumption of coke.
It is also reasonable to assume that using steam in an industrial plant could improve the efficiency of the electrofilters by increasing the overall humidity of the waste gases, and might also therefore reduce particulate emissions from the stack.
Because of the results achieved using steam at the pilot stage in terms of possible productivity benefits and reduced emissions of CO, NOx and SO2, and also because it might reduce particulate emissions by improving the efficiency of the electrofilters, it would be extremely beneficial to proceed with the Phase II works trials.
Tema(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Data not availableRégimen de financiación
Data not availableCoordinador
74100 Taranto
Italia