Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TransZeroWaste (Upgrading of low-quality iron ores and mill scale with low carbon technologies)
Période du rapport: 2022-12-01 au 2024-05-31
Iron ore and scrap as raw materials are forming the base of iron and steel production. Due to the transition from carbon-based iron and steel production to green steel production with H2, most current production units such as sinter plan, blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace will be replaced by the direct reduction process (DR process) followed by the electric arc furnace (EAF). As a result, the current recycling routes for mill scale will be cut off and the demand for high quality direct reduction pellets and high-quality scrap will rise. New by-products from the gas treatment of the DR process and iron pellets sieving will emerge. Because of this, technologies for an upgrade and use of low-quality iron ores and scrap are necessary to avoid lack of raw materials. Furthermore, the importance of the internal reuse of iron containing residues increases, especially in the EU scope aiming to 100% circular economy. As result, TransZeroWaste addresses to the following key objectives 1.) Upgrading low-grade iron ore by combining it with iron-rich by-products; 2.) Development of innovative techniques to produce high quality pre-material for decarbonised future production routes; 3.) Separation of disturbing components from byproducts to replace scrap; 4.) Development of the technological basis and digital tools supporting the transition towards zero waste in the European steel industry. Related key technologies are cold pelletisation and briquetting of low-quality iron ores for direct use in existing and future steel works, hot pelletisation e.g. with microwaves for upgrade of low-quality iron ores to increase the iron grade and technologies for the valorisation of low-quality materials or scrap by removal or impurities as hydrometallurgical treatment. While the hot pelletisation with microwaves is a comparable new, the cold pelletisation and briquetting as hydrometallurgical treatment are known, but not applied for the addressed materials and the future requirements for an internal material reuse. A first estimation shows, that the mass flows scale and fine fraction from pellet sieving of app. 9 Mt/a, treated by TransZeroWaste technologies, can be used to upgrade low quality iron ore with a volume of app. 18 Mt/a for a further use in the DR-EAF process route. The requirements for a reuse of e.g. oily materials in the DR process are not or only limited known as well as the compositions. Technologies for the reuse of low-quality iron ores and for the preparation of still or new occurring iron containing materials are needed, to ensure the sufficient supply of raw materials in iron and steel production, even in the case of increasing demands.
WP1: Mass flows for the industrial cases of before- and after-transformation and requirements were determined in deep exchange with partners. This will support the LCA and the development of a tool quantifying the impacts of technologies combinations.
WP2: Different materials and combinations of low-quality iron ores for direct use in existing and future steel works were selected for lab trials, by cold pelletisation and briquetting. The ongoing lab trials focus on determining suitable binders fulfilling the required parameters.
WP3: The focus was on the hot pelletisation for upgrade of low-quality iron ores to increase the iron grade, based on microwave treatment. Materials and their combinations have been selected by industrial and research partners. Their dielectric properties were determined. Three different materials combinations were selected for mass balance and thermochemical calculations and deeper investigations with microwaves and test in lab trials. The further development of the microwave device is planned.
WP4: A representative collection of 10 cleaning agents (alkaline, acidic, tenside mixtures) have been selected for the investigation of the hydrometallurgical treatment to remove organics hindering a direct recycling. 3 cleaning agents with best results were determined and used for further investigations focusing on temperature impact to the cleaning efficiency.
All information of the previous WPs support the economic and environmental evaluation in WP5. Rough baselines for the current situation and approaches for future scenarios were set up for the cases of DH and CELSA.
WP6: To ensure the transfer of the results, different dissemination and exploitation activities have been performed e.g. project brand (logo, templates), social media posts, presentations at ESTEP events and workshops for exploitation and IPR management. Beside this, a market analysis and technology trends were done for the magnetic separator (supporting de-oiling) have been performed. Business models are in preparation.
As part of the project management and coordination, different consortia meetings have been performed physically or online.
WP2: Different materials and combinations of low-quality iron ores for direct use in existing and future steel works were selected for lab trials, by cold pelletisation and briquetting. The ongoing lab trials focus on determining suitable binders fulfilling the required parameters.
WP3: The focus was on the hot pelletisation for upgrade of low-quality iron ores to increase the iron grade, based on microwave treatment. Materials and their combinations have been selected by industrial and research partners. Their dielectric properties were determined. Three different materials combinations were selected for mass balance and thermochemical calculations and deeper investigations with microwaves and test in lab trials. The further development of the microwave device is planned.
WP4: A representative collection of 10 cleaning agents (alkaline, acidic, tenside mixtures) have been selected for the investigation of the hydrometallurgical treatment to remove organics hindering a direct recycling. 3 cleaning agents with best results were determined and used for further investigations focusing on temperature impact to the cleaning efficiency.
All information of the previous WPs support the economic and environmental evaluation in WP5. Rough baselines for the current situation and approaches for future scenarios were set up for the cases of DH and CELSA.
WP6: To ensure the transfer of the results, different dissemination and exploitation activities have been performed e.g. project brand (logo, templates), social media posts, presentations at ESTEP events and workshops for exploitation and IPR management. Beside this, a market analysis and technology trends were done for the magnetic separator (supporting de-oiling) have been performed. Business models are in preparation.
As part of the project management and coordination, different consortia meetings have been performed physically or online.
The progress beyond the state of the art can be summarized as follows:
- Cold pelletisation and briquetting of low-quality iron ores for direct use in existing and future steel work using new binders
- Hot pelletisation with microwaves for upgrade of low-quality iron ores to increase the iron grade as new breakthrough technology for a low CO2 material treatment
- Hydrometallurgical removal of impurities from oily mill scale as low-quality scrap equivalent as mandatory step for opening a new raw material source and as a low CO2 treatment process compared to existing thermal treatment processes
Within TransZeroWaste, cold pelletisation and briquetting of low-quality iron oxide residues from steel industry will be investigated to use them in combination with iron ores especially within the emerging Direct Reduction-Electric arc furnace (DR-EAF) process route.
TransZeroWaste will cover new validated concepts to industrialize microwave heating as a solution for high energy efficient preparation of iron containing intermediate material. Microwave heating offers an efficient alternative by conversion of electromagnetic energy to heat at the molecular level compared to high-energy consumption conventional heating techniques. The energy can almost fully be consumed for material heating and activation energy. Form transformation, TransZeroWaste will use a new concept applicator with a specific design focussing on the electromagnetic energy in the materials. Main progress is, that the new design is scalable to industrial applications. Studies have shown advantages of modulating internal wavelength, allowing an efficiently heating of the raw materials.
The work regarding the removal of impurities which prevents a metallurgical reuse as for instant of low-quality scrap focusses on the de-oiling of high iron containing oily fine mill scale as scrap equivalent. Common requirements are oil contents below 0,5 wt.-%, or partly lower with 0.1 wt.-%, depending on the process. Approach is the hydrometallurgical treatment including the cleaning agent recovery using a modified magnetic separator allowing a combined selective removal of iron containing material and a spray de-oiling followed by a cleaning agent recovery by ceramic flat sheet membranes. Available technologies are based on thermal treatment evaporating the oil, e.g. using a fluidized bed, or using a modified conventional to a double-layer sintering. Due to high costs and environmental concerns, the mentioned de-oiling technologies has not or only very limited been realized.
- Cold pelletisation and briquetting of low-quality iron ores for direct use in existing and future steel work using new binders
- Hot pelletisation with microwaves for upgrade of low-quality iron ores to increase the iron grade as new breakthrough technology for a low CO2 material treatment
- Hydrometallurgical removal of impurities from oily mill scale as low-quality scrap equivalent as mandatory step for opening a new raw material source and as a low CO2 treatment process compared to existing thermal treatment processes
Within TransZeroWaste, cold pelletisation and briquetting of low-quality iron oxide residues from steel industry will be investigated to use them in combination with iron ores especially within the emerging Direct Reduction-Electric arc furnace (DR-EAF) process route.
TransZeroWaste will cover new validated concepts to industrialize microwave heating as a solution for high energy efficient preparation of iron containing intermediate material. Microwave heating offers an efficient alternative by conversion of electromagnetic energy to heat at the molecular level compared to high-energy consumption conventional heating techniques. The energy can almost fully be consumed for material heating and activation energy. Form transformation, TransZeroWaste will use a new concept applicator with a specific design focussing on the electromagnetic energy in the materials. Main progress is, that the new design is scalable to industrial applications. Studies have shown advantages of modulating internal wavelength, allowing an efficiently heating of the raw materials.
The work regarding the removal of impurities which prevents a metallurgical reuse as for instant of low-quality scrap focusses on the de-oiling of high iron containing oily fine mill scale as scrap equivalent. Common requirements are oil contents below 0,5 wt.-%, or partly lower with 0.1 wt.-%, depending on the process. Approach is the hydrometallurgical treatment including the cleaning agent recovery using a modified magnetic separator allowing a combined selective removal of iron containing material and a spray de-oiling followed by a cleaning agent recovery by ceramic flat sheet membranes. Available technologies are based on thermal treatment evaporating the oil, e.g. using a fluidized bed, or using a modified conventional to a double-layer sintering. Due to high costs and environmental concerns, the mentioned de-oiling technologies has not or only very limited been realized.