Recent advancements in source reduction and recycling technologies for converter dust

Converter dust is a valuable by-product of converter steelmaking, however, it has not been well recycled and dust emissions pollute the environment. This paper summarizes the process of converter dust formation, unifies the dust generation theory, and reviews recent advances and improvements in dust source reduction technologies. In the top-blown CO2-O2 and bottom-blown O2-CaO technologies, the converter dust production was reduced by 9.95% and 10.99% along with a Fe reduction of 12.98% and 16.58% in the dust, respectively. Combined with the distinguishing features of converter dust and the advantages of the recently developed process, a new converter flue gas recycling (CFGR) process is proposed to recover and treat the waste gas and dust in the flue gas and recycles them for converter production. The CFGR process can not only reduce the generation of converter dust from the source, but also fully recycle the dust produced in the steelmaking process. It adheres to the principle of no waste generated in the steel production, makes the converter steelmaking process cleaner and promotes the sustainable development of the iron and steel industry. In the CFGR process, a significant carbon dioxide capture and usage (CCU) approach has been developed by capturing and utilizing the CO2 produced during steelmaking, which can effectively reduce the carbon emissions of the iron and steel industry.