ADIGRAT UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Department Of Chemical Engineering

Course Title Process Industry 2

Course Code Cheg 3142

Project on Scrap Based Production of Steel and Recycling Of Steel

Section 3 Group 5

No. Name Id
1 Hadis Teumay 01392/08
2 Hadush Teklay 01399/08
3 Hafte Hiluf 01404/08
4 Hareya Teame 01496/08
5 Haymanot Kassaw 01505/08
6 Hermela Haile 01526/08
7 Hrit Tsegay 01554/08

Submitted To Ins. BASHA M. (MSC)

Summation Date 08/10/2010 e.c

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Acknowledgment

We would like to express our special thanks of gratitude to our instructor (BASHA M.)
who gave us the golden opportunity to do this wonder full project on the topic of steel
production from scrap and recycling of steel, he also gave us so many advices to do the
project in best way. Next we would like to say thanks for all who participate in our
project.

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Abstract

Steel scrap is one of the most important raw-materials in steelmaking, which contributes
60% to 80% of the total production cost. Using this steel scrap, by adopting continuous
casting process, billets are produced. The quality of the billet is directly related to the
steel scrap parameters like scrap source, ingot yield, electrical energy consumption,
impurity present in the scrap mix etc. In this process all the metallic scraps are mixed and
melted in an electric arc furnace and a sample is tested using spectrometer to find out
various elements present in the mix. The aim in the project is to minimize the harmful
impurities such as Phosphorus and Sulphur in order to produce quality billet for rolling.
Scrap is collected from various sources. These scraps are melted together for the required
composition. Also the mechanical properties such as yield stress, ultimate strength,
nominal breaking stress, actual breaking stress, percentage of elongation in length and
percentage reduction in area are found using UTM. Scanning electron microscope
analysis is carried out to find out the microstructure of billet as well as the scrap sample.

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 Table of content Page

I. Acknowledgment ………………………2
II. Abstract .……………………..3

1. Introduction .…………….………...3
2. Physical and chemical property ………..…...………….
3. Use of steel ……..………………..
4. Raw material ……………………….
5. Manufacturing process …………..…..…….....
1. Charging
2. Blowing
3. Reduction
4. Tapping
6. Steel recycle …………..……………
7. Process of steel recycling
1. Collection ………………………….
2. Sorting …………………………
3. Processing ………………………...
4. Melting
5. Purification
6. Solidification
7. Transportation ………….…………….
8. Conclusion ……………………….
9. Reference ……………………..

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 1. Introduction
Steel is undoubtedly the indispensable material of the modern technology driven society. Since
steel encompasses a class of over 2500 different grades currently produced and used, there is a
wide variety of properties leading to an even wider spread of uses. There are countless
possibilities of combinations with regard to micro and macro structure, alloying elements, heat
and mechanical treatment procedures, etc. Being used for thousands of years, one could expect
that the scope of possible improvements is limited. However, the increasing challenges from
other materials have been met by continuous product and process development ensuring the
competitive edge for steel. It is fair to say that the potential of steel developments has been so
far used only to a very limited extent leaving ample opportunities. Steels can be used in a
number of ways. With respect to service properties, the classification is made according to the
three groups of

 base steel
 quality steel
 high grade steel

One can also use the amount of alloying additives to classify

 unalloyed to medium alloyed steels and

 high alloyed steel

The second classification is sometimes more useful, since high-grade steels can be high
alloyed stainless steels as well as ultra low carbon steels distinguished by a particularly low
level of alloying elements and impurities. The second method of classification is useful for
electric steelmaking, since we encounter two rather distinct groups of mills with respect to
their product range. On the one hand we have the producers of high alloyed steels, mainly
stainless, high temperature resistant and acid-proof grades. These steels are nearly exclusively
produced by electric steelmaking with tight control over temperature and composition. On the
other hand, we have the production of preliminarily lower quality grade long products directed
into construction industry. Here the advantages of scrap as a relatively cheap and abundantly
available raw material are exploited. It has to be stated that internationally there are strong
tendencies to improve the quality range and to produce flat products, too, thereby competing
strongly with integrated mills.

2. Physical and chemical properties

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Properties of Carbon Steels

Carbon steels are alloys made from a combination of iron and carbon. By varying the
percentage of carbon, it is possible to produce steel with a variety of different qualities. In
general, the higher the carbon level the stronger and more brittle the steel. Low carbon steel is
sometimes called "wrought iron." It is easy to work and may be used for decorative products
such as fencing or lamp posts.

Properties of Alloy Steels

Alloy steels are so named because they are made with a small percentage of one or more
metals besides iron. The addition of alloys changes the properties of steels. For example, steel
made from iron, chromium, and nickel produces stainless steel. The addition of aluminum can
make steel more uniform in appearance. Steel with added manganese becomes exceptionally
hard and strong.

Properties of Stainless Steels

Stainless steels generally contain between 10-20% chromium as the main alloying element and
are valued for high corrosion resistance. With over 11% chromium, steel is about 200 times
more resistant to corrosion than mild steel. These steels can be divided into three groups based
on their crystalline structure:

 Austenitic: Austenitic steels are non-magnetic and non heat-treatable, and generally
contain 18% chromium, 8% nickel and less than 0.8% carbon. Ferrite steel contain
trace amounts of nickel, 12-17% chromium, less than 0.1% carbon, along with other
alloying elements, such as molybdenum aluminum or titanium. These magnetic steels
cannot be hardened by heat treatment but can be strengthened by cold working.
 Martens tic: Martens tic steels contain 11-17% chromium, less than 0.4% nickel, and
up to 1.2% carbon. These magnetic and heat-treatable steels are used in knives, cutting
tools, as well as dental and surgical equipment.

Properties of Tool Steels

Tool steels are durable, heat resistant metals containing tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt, and
vanadium. They are used, not surprisingly, to make tools such as drills. There are a variety of
different types of tools steels, containing varying amounts of different alloy metals.

3. Use of steel

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Iron and steel are used widely in the construction of roads, railways, other infrastructure,
appliances, and buildings. Most large modern structures, such as stadium and skyscrapers,
bridges, and airports, are supported by a steel skeleton. Even those with a concrete structure
employ steel for reinforcing. In addition, it sees widespread use in major appliance and cars.
Despite growth in usage of aluminum, it is still the main material for car bodies. Steel is used
in a variety of other construction materials, such as bolts, nails, and screws and other
household products and cooking utensils. Other common applications include shipbuilding
,pipelines , mining ,offshore construction , aerospace ,white goods (e.g. washing machine )
heavy equipment such as bulldozers, office furniture, steel wool, tools, and armor in the form
of personal vests or vehicle armor (better known as rolled homogeneous armor in this role).

Types of scrap used in steelmaking

 Old car bodies – Vehicles with or without interiors and their original wheels
 Cast iron – Cast iron bathtubs, machinery, pipe and engine blocks
 Pressing steel – Domestic scrap metal up to approx. 6mm thick. Examples - White
goods (fridges, washing machines, etc.), roofing iron, water heaters, water tanks and
sheet metal off cuts
 Reinforcing bars or mesh – Used in the construction industry within concrete
structures
 Turnings – Remains of drilling or shaping steels. Also known as "borings" or "swarf"
 Manganese steel – Non magnetic, hardened steel used in the mining industry, cement
mixers, rock crushers, and other high impact and abrasive environments
 Rails – Rail or tram tracks

4. Raw materials for steel production

Steel scrap is a major source of metallic iron for steelmaking. About half of the 700 million
tons of crude steel now produced annually in the world will be recycled as scrap to the
steelmaking furnaces sooner or later. (Every tone of scrap consumed in steelmaking is
estimated to conserve about three tones of natural resources.) Scrap comes from two main
sources: · "home" (steel plant generated) scrap; and · purchased scrap. Home scrap (also
known as circulating scrap) is the residue left from the steelmaking, rolling and finishing
operations and includes cropping, off cuts and material rejected by quality inspection
procedures. The home scrap usually accounts for about 10% of total crude steel production in
an integrated steelworks. 12 In other words, from each 100 tons of crude steel produced in the
steelmaking furnaces, 90 tones will be shipped from the plant as finished product; the
remainder will be returned to the furnace as scrap feed. Purchased scrap returns to the industry
from various sources, partly as manufacturers' off cuts and defectives, and partly as obsolete
and worn-out goods discarded at the end of their useful lives. Ship-breakers, for example,
recover large tonnages. Increasing tonnages of steel cans are now recycled as steel scrap. In

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Australia, up to 75% of scrap is recycled annually. There is a considerable international trade
in scrap and prices are sensitive to the variable supply and demand conditions.

5. Manufacturing process of steel from scrap

Raw materials are continuously fed into the furnace top, producing the iron and slag which are
removed at the base periodically. A hot air blast, together with auxiliary fuels, is injected into
the furnace through the tuyeres. It takes about eight hours for a piece of solid-feed material to
pass through the furnace.
5.1 Charging The raw materials charged into a blast furnace are: · iron ore (Fe2O3 +
gangue) as lump, sinter and/or pellets, according to availability; · coke (C + ash) to provide the
reducing agent (CO) and the heat necessary to melt the iron; · minor amounts of limestone,
dolomite and quartzite fluxes to control slag chemistry; and · air (O2 + N2) to burn the coke
(the air is preheated to about 1150°C). The fluxes are added, mainly as part of the sinter or
pellets, to control slag chemistry, i.e., to make slag containing typically, 34% SiO2, 41 % CaO,
15% Al2O3 and 7% MgO. The gangue and ash are mainly acidic SiO2 and Al2O3 so the
fluxes are primarily basic CaO and MgO. The increased availability of natural gas has resulted
in it being injected with the air blast as a supplementary fuel. In some circumstances coke
ovens gas is a cost effective alternative, while in countries with high energy costs, injection of
pulverized coal is common. Productivity is increased by enriching the pre-heated blast air with
oxygen. Humidification of the blast air by adding steam is used to control furnace temperature.
A scale car or a weigh hopper normally weighs all the solid raw materials charged to the
furnace top. The flow rate of injected fuels is measured along with the blast air.
5.2 Blowing To increase productivity and efficiency most furnaces today are equipped to
operate at high top pressure (increased pressure at the furnace top). This is achieved by raising
the pressure of the blast air and restricting the passage of gas leaving the furnace top. The
reduction in gas velocity results in greater efficiency of all the important reduction reactions.
Top Gas Energy Recovery turbines have been installed to recover the pressure energy of the
high pressure off gas. Steam-driven turbo-blowers supply the furnace air blast in volumes up
to 6500 m 3 /minute and at pressures up to 400 kilopascals. The blast pressure is determined
by the top pressure, the bed permeability and the driving rate of the furnace. For more efficient
smelting, superheated air is used. The turbo-blowers drive the air through preheated refractory
chambers called 'stoves', in which the air is raised to a temperature of 900- 1200°C, and then
into the 'bustle pipe' which girdles the 'bosh'. The hot air enters the furnace combustion zone
through water-cooled copper nozzles called 'tuyeres'. 16 Usually there are three stoves or four
serving each furnace. These steel chambers are refractory lined pressure vessels, filled with a
matrix of high duty refractory brick. They act as both heat stores and heat exchangers. One or
two stoves are 'on blast', supplying heat to the air blast while the other two are 'on gas' (or
combustion) being heated by gas burners firing blast furnace gas (enriched with coke ovens

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gas or natural gas). The heat contained in the preheated blast produces a substantial saving in
the coke and/or fuel consumption which improves the productivity of the furnace.
5.3 Reduction The heat and carbon monoxide gas generated by combustion of coke and any
supplementary fuel, preheats and reduces the iron ore, as it descends through the furnace. The
melting point of pure iron is 1537°C. Because iron passing through the blast furnace absorbs
carbon and other elements, its melting point is lowered to approximately 1150°C. Despite its
low melting point, the liquid iron in the furnace hearth must be maintained at about l500°C,
with slag reaching temperatures about 50°C higher (1550°C). This temperature is necessary to
obtain sufficient fluidity of the iron and slag to sustain proper drainage from the furnace hearth
and to keep it flowing freely from the taphole. It is also important to note that the slag melting
point changes with composition and this makes accurate raw material control and weighing
very important.
5.4 Tapping The furnace is 'cast' or 'tapped' intermittently about every two hours on smaller
furnaces and almost continuously on large furnaces with multiple tapholes. A typical analysis
of product iron is shown in Table 5. Between 250 and 800 tonnes of iron are obtained from
each cast, depending on the size of the furnace. Automatic drilling machines are used to drill
through a plug of refractory clay which seals the taphole. The iron is separated from the slag
by a 'skimmer' and then flows along 'runners' lined with refractory clay; into 'hot metal' ladles
below the cast house floor. These ladles are torpedo-shaped steel shells, refractory-lined and
mounted on railway bogies. The brick lining is sufficiently thick to hold the iron in its molten
state for many hours. Ladles can hold up to 300 tonnes of molten iron.

By-Products
Slag At the blast furnace, slag is run off in an adjacent pit, poured into ladles for transfer to a
slag dump ("rock slag"), or granulated by rapid cooling with a high velocity water stream. The

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slag contains the impurities in the raw materials. Liquid slag is immiscible (cannot be mixed)
with liquid iron and floats on its surface.

Gas Another product of the blast furnace operation is gas which is extracted from the top of
the furnace. It has the following composition: CO2 22% H2 5% CO 22% N2 51% its calorific
value is about 3.4 MJ/m3. As the gas passes through the furnace it carries with it small
particles of solid raw materials, which then have to be removed. This is done sequentially in
dust catchers, scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators, cleaning the gas thoroughly. The flue
dust, because of its high iron content, is collected and recycled as a feed for the making of
sinter. The gas is used as a fuel.
6. Steel recycles

Metals are valuable materials that can be recycled again and again without degrading their
properties. Scrap metal has value, which motivates people to collect it for sale to recycling
operations. In addition to a financial incentive, there is also an environmental imperative. The
recycling of metals enables us to preserve natural resources while requiring less energy to
process than the manufacture of new products using virgin raw materials. Recycling emits less
carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses. More importantly, it saves money and allows
manufacturing businesses to reduce their production cost. Recycling also creates jobs.

Quick metal recycling facts

 Although almost every kind of metal can be recycled again and again without
degradation of properties, currently, only 30 percent of metal is recycled.
 Nearly 40 percent of worldwide steel production is made using recycled steel.
 Around 42 percent of crude steel in the United States is made of recycled materials.
 In the United States alone, around 100 million steel and tin cans are used every day.
 Steel and iron are the most recycled materials in the world due in part to the
opportunity to recover large structures as well as the ease of reprocessing. The use of
magnets in the sorting process enables recyclers to easily separate them from the mixed
waste stream.

 Every year, around 400 million tons of metal are recycled worldwide.
 Currently, the single most recycled consumer product in the U.S. is the aluminum can.
 Throwing away a single aluminum can waste energy equivalent to the same can filled
with gasoline.

Types of metals recycled

Metals can be classified as ferrous or non ferrous. Ferrous metals are combinations of iron
with carbon. Some common ferrous metals include carbon steel, alloy steel, wrought iron, and
cast iron. On the other hand, non-ferrous metals include aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, and tin.
Precious metals are non-ferrous. The most common precious metals include gold, platinum,
silver, iridium, and palladium.

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The metal recycling process

Following are the main stages of a metal recycling process:

Collection: The collection process for metals differs than that for other materials because of
higher scrap value. As such, it is more likely to be sold to scrap yards than sent to the landfill.
The largest source of scrap ferrous metal in the U.S. is from scrap vehicles. Other
source includes large steel structures, railroad tracks, ships, farm equipment, and of course,
consumer scraps. Prompt scrap, which is created in the course of new product manufacturing,
accounts for one-half of ferrous scrap supply.

Sorting: Sorting involves separating metals from the mixed scrap metal stream or the mixed
multi-material waste stream. In automated recycling operations, magnets and sensors are used
to aid in material separation. At the entrepreneurial level, scrappers may employ a magnet, as
well as to observe the material color or weight to help determine the metal type. For example,
aluminum will be silver and light. Other important colors to look for are copper, yellow (for
brass) and red, for red brass. Scrappers will improve the value of their material by segregating
clean metal from the dirty material.

Processing: To allow further processing, metals are shredded. Shredding is done to promote
the melting process as small shredded metals have a large surface to volume ratio. As a result,
they can be melted using comparatively less energy. Normally, aluminum is converted into
small sheets and steel is changed into steel blocks.

Melting: Scrap metal is melted in a large furnace. Each metal is taken to a specific furnace
designed to melt that particular metal. A considerable amount of energy is used in this step.
Still, as mentioned above, the energy required to melt and recycle metals is much less than the
energy that is needed to produce metals using virgin raw materials. Based on the size of the
furnace, the degree of heat of the furnace and volume of metal, melting can take from just a
few minutes to hours.

Purification: Purification is done to ensure the final product is of high quality and free of
contaminants. One of the most common methods used for purification is Electrolysis.

Solidifying: After purification, melted metals are carried by the conveyor belt to cool and
solidify the metals. In this stage, scrap metals are formed into specific shapes such as bars that
can be easily used for the production of various metal products.

Transportation of the Metal Bars: Once the metals are cooled and solidified, they are
ready to use. They are then transported to various factories where they are used as raw material
for the production of brand new products. When the products made of these metal bars come
to the end of their useful life, the metal recycling process cycles again.

Challenges for the metal recycling industry

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The current overall metal recycling rate of around 30 percent is not acceptable given the
recyclability of almost every kind of metal, and challenges remain with respect how to
recapture more material for recycling. The expansion of community recycling programs and
public awareness help in this regard. Another important reason for the low recycling rate has to
do with the design of various metal products. The growing complexity of various modern
products and their material mix makes recycling increasingly difficult. For instance, a simple
mobile phone can contain as many as 40 different elements. So, extracting every kind of
materials from a mobile phone and reusing them in the production of new products makes it
difficult.

Metal recycling technologies

Modern recycling technologies can effectively identify many different kinds of metals;
although there is still the need for even more effective recycling technologies to separate non-
ferrous metals. Separating ferrous metals from non-ferrous metals is one of the most important
steps in the sorting process. As ferrous metals contain iron, they are attracted by magnets and
easily pulled out of the mixed waste stream; paper is removed first leaving only plastics and
metals. Then, electric currents are induced across the stream where only metals get affected.
This process is called Eddy Current Separation. Although aluminum is not magnetic, this
technology can levitate it and allow plastics to drop out of the process.

Recovering precious metals such as palladium, platinum, gold and other valuable metals such
as copper, lead, and silver from electronic waste becomes economically viable only if enough
scrap is collected. Such separation takes more technologically advanced and sophisticated
recycling equipment. These days, in large recycling facilities, the use of sensors to identify
metals through infra-red scanning and x-ray has become popular. Three common categories of
metal sensing processes include biotechnology, hydrometallurgy, and pyrometallurgy. The use
of these technologies can effectively improve metal recovery rates.

Business opportunities in metal recycling

Traditionally, metal recycling has been regarded as a profitable business opportunity. In recent
years, however, depressed prices have proved to be challenging. At an entrepreneurial level, a
common entry point into the metal recycling business is through starting scrap metal collection
business or becoming a scrap metal vendor.

6.5 Applications of Recycled Steel

Recycled steel can be used for the same applications as steel produced from virgin material.
Products that are made of recycled steel include:

 Electrical appliances
 Automobiles and other vehicles

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  Office supplies
 Hardware such as bolts, nuts, screws etc.
 Construction materials

6.6 Benefit of Recycled Steel

According to research conducted by the us environmental protection agency, recycling scrap

metals can be quite beneficial to the environment. Using recycled scrap metal in place of
virgin iron ore can yield75% savings in energy.

 90% savings in raw materials used.

 86% reduction in air pollution.
 40% reduction in water use.
 76% reduction in water pollution.
 97% reduction in mining wastes.
Every ton of new steel made from scrap steel saves:

 1,115 kg of iron ore.

 625 kg of coal.
 53 kg of limestone.

Energy savings from other metals include:

 Aluminum savings of 95% energy.
 Copper savings of 85% energy.
 Lead savings of 65% energy.
 Zinc savings of 60% energy

7. Conclusion to steel production from scrap

Steel cans and other ferrous scrap are easily recovered through magnetic separation at resource
recovery facilities. Performing magnetic separation decreases a resource recovery facility's
costs associated with the disposal of post-combustion material and generates incremental scrap
revenue. Whether recovered before or after combustion, properly beneficiated municipal solid
waste derived ferrous is a readily marketable material. These facilities, through automatic
recycling, recover virtually all steel cans’ from the community -- independent of active
participation by residents. The increased diversion of steel cans from the solid waste stream
accordingly improves the measured statistical rate of steel can recycling. Resource recovery
facilities should heighten public awareness of automatic steel can recycling. The overall

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environmental image of these facilities should be bolstered as the public realizes that
approximately one out of every six steel cans recycled in the United States is recovered
through magnetic separation at resource recovery facilities. By mutually working towards
increased public awareness of automatic recycling of steel cans and other ferrous at resource
recovery facilities, both the resource recovery and steel industries can accomplish their
respective goals. The Steel Can Recycling Institute is prepared to heighten accomplishment
and awareness by working with the Integrated Waste Services Association and its member
companies.

Flow diagram for steel production from scrap

8. Reference

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 World Steel Association. Website: www.world steel.org
 Street, Arthur & Alexander, W.O. 1944. Metals in the Service of Man. 11th Edition
(1998).

 Efunda.com. General Properties of Steels. Website: www.efunda.com The American

Iron & Steel Institute. www.steel.org

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