Obtainment of sponge iron by reduction of a steelmaking by-product

Abstract

Rolling mill scale is a solid by-product of the steelmaking industry that contains metallic iron, wustite (FeO), hematite (α-Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4). It also contains traces of non-ferrous metals, alkaline compounds and oils from the rolling process. A study is made of the reduction of mill scale to sponge iron using coke at 1100 ºC and different times. The reduction of mill scale allows the new use and development of this material to obtain sponge iron that can be re-used to the electric furnace as metallic load in steel manufacturing or as a raw material in the production of iron-base powder metallurgy parts.