Selection of materials for blast furnace injection using quality indicators.

Abstract

The injection of pulverized materials is a technique used in most of the blast furnaces in the world to reduce coke and charcoal consumption. In addition, injection is one of the main variables of the blast furnace heat control. Coal is the most used material for the injection, but some industries have been attempting to use other materials, usually mixtures, in order to reduce the total dependence on it. The quality of the injected material influences some operational parameters, such as the permeability, the heat control, and also the quality of the hot metal produced. Due to these factors, the strategy and quality of these materials should be planned and evaluated using quality indicators to achieve good production, with low cost and environmental impact. In this context, there is a large number of researches on different materials, especially waste from iron and steelmaking processes, among others. Herein, some quality indicators of different materials tested on industrial and laboratory scales were analyzed compared, and the feasibility of using new materials injected into the blast furnace was discussed.