Neuharlingersiel, Germany:

Kühn M., Dr. Eng. Consultant: hauskiebitz@web.de

At the time, when natural resources run short and prices increase, the efficient use of resources is a prerequisite for sustainable steelmaking in the future. According to a study of the German Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) there is a high potential for savings by better utilization of raw materials in industrial processes. In Europe the recycling of by-products from iron and steelmaking is on a technologically advanced level. Raw materials like ores and minerals contribute by 40% to the production costs of the industry, whereas the costs for energy are about 1.6%. Although these figures are calculated for the total industrial production, there are also aspects of costs savings in the steel industry. The data presented in this paper are the results of research at FEhS-Building Materials Institute, Duisburg, Germany. Environmental issues are detrimental for the future of steel making in Europe. The development of improved environmental demands on the use of by-product requires new treatment and processing routes for steelmaking by-products to ensure their further use and thus to assure the high level of re-use of valuable secondary raw materials. In the past it was shown that a high level of residue recycling also benefits in economical patterns. Iron and steelmaking by-products are valuable raw materials. A responsible use of iron and steelmaking by-products results in better raw material exploitation and thus less raw material demand. Energy input and the emissions of CO² will be delimited. In this article some possible new recycling strategies for different slags are presented leading to further sustainable steelmaking in Europe. By this, the steel industry has made a big step towards sustainability and will improve further in the future.

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