Daiwa Steel Starts Zinc Dust reduction

Daiwa Steel, Japanese major electric furnace maker of JFE Steel’ subsidiary will build up smelting reduction equipment in Mizushima Works, and start zinc dust reduction from blast furnace. The firm responses against swing of ferrous scrap supply flexibly by the dust reduction, and increases competition power by using cheap material. The dust reduction capacity is about 10,000 tonnes per month. The firm aims to process at 100,000 tonnes per year. The firm starts the dust reduction for the first time in JFE group. The firm plans to remodel the body of electric furnace.

The firm had been used dust from electric furnace and steel converter, hot metal and ferrous scrap from iron works of JFE Steel, while purchased ferrous scrap from the market.

The firm is forced to increase purchasing high grade ferrous scrap from the market because hot metals price rose, the firm reduces CO2 emission. The firm will increase the inventory or loading capacity and heat source because the firm reduces the rate of using hot metal. However, production efficiency becomes low and material cost rises if the firm increases using ferrous scrap against hot metal.

JFE Steel had been relegated zinc dust to an external contractor. The amount of zinc dust increased more than external contractor’s processing capacity. The firm has to process zinc dust by oneself.

The firm developed zinc dust reduction process by electric furnace. The firm remodeled electrode of furnace bottom for using large electric power in February 2008, and constructed no.3 dust collector in March 2008.

The firm constructs ferrous scrap house at 2,000 square meters, dust reduction processing house at 1,560 square meters. Dust reduction equipment’s capacity is 10,000 tonnes per month. The firm will complete the construction and start the operation in January 2010.

Mizushima Works used the material at 50% of hot metal and 50% of ferrous scrap until last year. Because hot metal price was high, the firm’s production cost was high more than other electric furnace makers. The firm will reduce the cost by using zinc dust.