Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ZHYRON (Valorisation of iron-rich & Zinc-containing steelmaking by-products via HYdrogen-based ReductiON)
Période du rapport: 2024-01-01 au 2025-06-30
ZHyRON project aims to develop a hydrogen-based valorisation route for the treatment of iron rich and zinc-containing steelmaking by-products in order to produce: (1) direct reduced iron product (DRI) to be recycled in an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), (2) zinc rich concentrate to be marketed in the zinc smelting industry and (3) wastewater that is safe for its disposal or reuse. To achieve this, ZHyRON will work on all the stages of the process, addressing conditioning of waste raw materials, H2-based thermal reduction, wastewater treatment and valorisation of the Zn contained in the sludges. The obtained DRI, Zn recycling and final treatment and recycling of the wastewater will contribute to the circular economy, validating the feasibility of ZHyRON process for achieving a more sustainable steel industry. The developed combination of treatment techniques will be transferable to other multiple secondary flows in the metal industry. This scientific and technological know-how is urgently needed for sustainable production development. Horizontally, multi-physics models will support the hydrogen reduction process to find the optimal parameters, a sustainable monitoring framework will enable the quantification of the environmental impacts, and a conceptual integration of the process will accelerate its upscaling towards a commercial scale.
The first phase of ZHYRON consisted of the definition of the technical KPIs by all the partners coordinated by AMIII. It included the desired characteristics for (1) the cold-agglomerates which will be produced from steelmaking by-products, (2) the DRI which will be produced from these cold-agglomerates by using a hydrogen and electricity-based pyrometallurgical treatment, (3) the zinc rich concentrate which will be produced through this treatment and (4) for the characteristics that must fulfil the wastewater produced during the process to be recycled back or to be safely disposed to the environment. Additionally, a structured methodology was established by CIRCE to identify and prioritize Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for monitoring the environmental and economic performance. This phase also considered the sampling and physico-chemical characterization of six different steelmaking dusts and sludges sampled inside ArcelorMittal facilities to further understand which wastes and by-products were the most suitable for the recovery of metallic iron and metal fractions.
In the second phase, two technologies were assessed for the production of cold bonded agglomerates: (1) high-pressure stiff vacuum extrusion by AMIII and (2) roll-press briquetting by CRM. After that initial screening, the most promising recipe(s) were selected to be tested at a bigger scale producing batches of 25-40 kg. The first round of reduction has been carried out by GI. The materials include extrudates of BOF dust, mill scales, and pellet fines. Furthermore, a multiphysics model for hydrogen thermal reduction has been already developed by CIRCE. To conclude, the first process (condensate) water samples from the pilot plant of GI (with 10 kg batch treatment capacity), were generated and analysed by HM and BFI. The volume was around 1.3 L of process water per batch. HM is performing trials at laboratory scale for the recovery of Zn, whereas BFI has commissioned a membrane distillation plant for H2 production
In the second phase, two technologies were assessed for the production of cold bonded agglomerates: (1) high-pressure stiff vacuum extrusion by AMIII and (2) roll-press briquetting by CRM. After that initial screening, the most promising recipe(s) were selected to be tested at a bigger scale producing batches of 25-40 kg. The first round of reduction has been carried out by GI. The materials include extrudates of BOF dust, mill scales, and pellet fines. Furthermore, a multiphysics model for hydrogen thermal reduction has been already developed by CIRCE. To conclude, the first process (condensate) water samples from the pilot plant of GI (with 10 kg batch treatment capacity), were generated and analysed by HM and BFI. The volume was around 1.3 L of process water per batch. HM is performing trials at laboratory scale for the recovery of Zn, whereas BFI has commissioned a membrane distillation plant for H2 production
The ZHyRON project has made significant progress in (i) the Valorization of Fe-rich and Zn-containing steelmaking by-products by using for the first time hydrogen based thermal reduction at low temperature (550-650 °C) in a Bell-type furnace (ii) Well-structured models for supporting the design, scaleup and integration of the addressed processing technologies within industrial environments. In detail, through ZHyRON we have so far advanced in the processing of iron-rich and zinc-containing steelmaking by-products and wastes using green H2. Firstly, ZHyRON has made use of GI technology for processing iron-rich and zinc-containing steelmaking by-products and wastes using green H2 as a reduction agent and green electricity as heating source. Secondly, the process water has been characterized and Zinc recovery tests performed. Finally, ZHyRON CFD and DEM techniques in conjunction with an Iron Reduction Model have been used to simulate accurately the circulating gas and the solid phase.