Zero waste reprocessing of EAF and CF dust with competence build-up

Each year about 1.3 Mt of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) dust and around 50 kt of Cupola Furnace (CF) dusts are generated in Europe. Both materials are hazardous waste (content of Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb...) which burden metallurgical industry, but can also be an alternative source of valuable metals. About 30 steelworks in the ESEE RIS region operate EAFs for steel scrap-based steel production. No recycling plant operates in the ESEE region, so the dust generators have additional costs of transporting the dust to the nearest Zn recovery plant. Landfilling of metallurgical dust is in many RIS countries forbidden due to the presence of toxic substances. In RIS region, knowledge for extraction of a narrow range of EAF dust compounds exists, and also the utilisation of residues uses in construction industry. RIS DustRec project aims towards capacity building for effective (1) recovery of all economical compounds of the dusts (Zn, Pb, Cu, Fe and others); (2) minimal waste discharge; (3) economic feasibility with improved environmental and social impacts. The proposed innovative approach involves combining emerging techniques from innovative magnetic and gravity separation methods to new pyro and hydrometallurgical reprocessing technologies for the separated fractions. More than 10 locations in 5 RIS countries will be sampled and tested, and the business potential of the EAF and CF dust multicomponent recycling technology, and the Letters of Intent show a high interest in the industry.