Environmental integrated

management-applications
Ferro-alloys production
 Overview of steel and cast-iron industry
Metallurgy is the science that deals with the study of industrial processes for extracting metals from ores
and their processing, in order to obtain semi-finished products from metals or alloys that can be used
according to the proposed purpose (ingots, blumes, screws, billets, plates, sheets, bars, pipes, profiles, etc.).

According to the nature of the metals being processed, metallurgy is divided into:
 metallurgy of ferrous metals and alloys (steel and cast-iron)
Table 1. Worldsteel - ranking of crude steel production
 metallurgy of non-ferrous metals and alloys.
No. Country Million tons (Mt)
1. China 996.3
Cast iron and steel are very widespread 2. India 111.2
important products. 3. Japan 99.3
4. United States of America 87.9
5. Russia (estimates) 71.6
6. South Korea 71.4
7. Germany (estimates) 39.7
8. Turkey 33.7
9. Brazil 32.2
10. Iran (estimates) 31.9
Technologies involved in obtaining the pellets
Ores / Concentrate Raw material
Pellets are spherical balls formed by the preparation

agglomeration of ground or natural iron Drying and Grinding / Filtering

ores in the presence of moisture and a
binder
Mixing Preparation of
(flux, binder, coal) green pellets

The main stages of the pelletizing process:

 preparation of raw material Ball formation

 formation of green pellets

Hardening of
 hardening of pellets (solidification) Hardening pellets
1.Drying 3. Heating
2.Preheating 4. Cooling

Pellets

Figure 1. Main stages of the pelletizing process

Process diagram
ores, olivine, fuel (coke) NOX, CO2, SO2, powders
Drying + Grinding

water + bentonite particles

Mixing

Ball formation

180°C - 350°C, warm air

Drying

particles, NOX, HF,

500°C - 1100°C
Preheating SO2, heavy metals,
PAH, PCDDF

1250°C - 3000°C
Heating

20°C - 30°C
Cooling

Pellets
Raw materials, emissions and waste
ores, pellets, scrap metal, coal, calcium oxide, limestone (in some cases high sulphur fuel oil
 Materials: and plastics are also used), additives and auxiliary materials.

 Emissions:  Emissions of particulate matter from crushing

 NOx emissions from solidification and drying
 Gaseous emissions and particulate matter from the solidification strip
 SO2 emissions from solidification
 HCl and HF emissions from solidification
Table 2. The production of solid waste from the elaboration of steel
 Waste:  dust, No Solid waste / by-product Specific quantity (kg/ t LS)
 powders
 metallic and non-metallic oxides 1 Slag from the desulphurization stage 2-25
2 Slag BOF 100-130
3 Purge 4-10
 Wastewater
4 Powders and sludge from BOF gas 3-12
5 Fine powders and sludge from BOF gas treatment 9-15

6 Powders from secondary dusting 0.2-3

7 Slag of secondary metallurgy 2-16
8 Slag from secondary casting 4-5
9 Secondary casting thunder 1.2- 6
 Environmental policy- Steel and cast iron industry
The main strategic directions for environmental management that a company in the cast iron and steel industry
is aiming for and are committed to achieving are:
 continuous improvement of products, services and the organization itself through process control, empowering
employees to make decisions and management commitment;
 continuous prevention and reduction of pollution;
 operation in accordance with the legislation and other environmental regulations in force;
 implementation of an integrated system (SMM, SMC, OHSAS) at the organization level, which will create the
necessary conditions for continuous improvement of environmental performance;
 streamlining the use of energy and water as a form of saving natural and financial resources;
 maintaining air purity by reducing gaseous emissions;
 reducing the amount of waste resulting from the activity carried out;
 staff awareness on product quality and safety policy, and the policy is understood and fulfilled at all levels of
management and execution;
 publicizing among employees and the local community the positive results obtained in the field of environmental
protection, in order to improve the company's image and relations with neighbours and local authorities;
 increasing the qualitative and economic performances of the company and the working conditions in the team.
Initial environmental analysis Table 3. Initial environmental analysis
Technological Types of Pollutant impacts on the environmental components
stage emissions
and wastes
Drying+ NOX, CO2, They lead to the appearance of the greenhouse effect through warming of the atmosphere and the earth's surface, climate change, melting
Grinding SO2, powders glaciers, rising sea levels, acid rain, changing rainfall.
Powders/dust pollution worsens the symptoms of asthma, cough, chest pain and difficulty breathing, long-term exposure to a low
concentration of dust can cause cancer and premature death.
SO2 - contributes to acidification of precipitation, with toxic effects on vegetation and soil. In high concentration, sulphur dioxide destroys
chlorophyll in the leaves, accelerates the corrosion of metals, due to the formation of acids. May erode: stone, masonry, paints, fibres,
paper, leather and electrical components. For animals and humans, sulphur dioxide leads to irritation of the respiratory system, bronchial
spasm, disorders in carbohydrate metabolism; Nitrogen oxide in animals and humans causes paralysis of the nervous system

Mixing Ore particles, Particulate’s pollution can have serious effects on the environment as well as human health. These issues can quickly create lasting
powders, problems that affect the entire planet. Ore particles - Quantitative evaluation of environmental health impacts of mining and smelting is a
wastewater difficult task due to the complexity of interacting factors, thus leading often to conflicting results; however, it is possible that the current
levels of metals in the vicinity of many mining and smelting operations are high enough to constitute a hazard to human health. Wastewater
-Toxic compounds in the effluent disrupt aquatic ecosystems. When a large number of biodegradable substances end up in the water,
organisms will start to break them down, and they use a lot of dissolved oxygen. Dissolved oxygen is critical for marine life to thrive, and as
it becomes depleted, it can be life-threatening for fish. When untreated wastewater gets dumped, it’s often warm or even hot, which can
elevate the temperature of the water, further disrupting the ecosystem.
Drying / Ore particles, The release of large amounts of heavy metals into the natural environment creates problems due to their persistence. They can accumulate
Preheating/ NOX, HF, SO2, in the food chain posing a significant danger to human health.
Heating/ heavy metals, PAHs can cause carcinogenic and mutagenic effects and are potent immune-suppressants. PAHs constitute a major class of chemical
Cooling PAH, carcinogens present in the environment. Several PAHs and their epoxides are highly toxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic to
PCDD/F, microorganisms as well as to higher systems including humans.
wastewater PCDD/F are toxic to humans. Atmospheric transport is the key factor in moving PCDD/Fs from sources to remote regions and in
contaminating terrestrial and aquatic environments and the food chain. The atmospheric fate of PCDD/Fs is primarily governed by their
vapour/particulate partitioning.
Proposal of environmental objectives and action planning
The main objectives and targets set by companies from the cast iron and steel industry regarding the
environmental protection are the following:

 Maintaining air purity by reducing the dust and powder from the technological process, applying
an electro filter until January 2022.

 Reduction of NOX, CO2, SO2, HCl, HF emissions from the solidification process through semi-dry
cleaning or desulphurisation methods until January 2023.

 Efficiency use of energy as a form of saving financial resources by applying technologies with low
energy consumption until January 2023.

 Rational use of water resources in the production process by reusing the washing water in the
technological process until January 2022.

 Reducing the amount of waste by recycling or reuse of solid waste/by-products in the process
until January 2023.
Implementation of the environmental management program
Technological Environmental Associated Objectives Goals Actions & Activities Responsibilities’ Indicators
process phase aspect impact & Resources for monitoring
Release into the Climate change Reduction or Compliance with Mounting an electro Air
Raw material atmosphere of and human elimination of threshold levels for the filter Responsible:
preparation powders and dust health damage harmful/toxic gases protection of the technical director,
(Drying+ Grinding) atmosphere economic
Release into the Climate change Reduction or Compliance with Applying the best director, general Air
atmosphere of and human elimination of threshold levels for the prevention and manager.
NOX, CO2, SO2 health damage harmful/toxic gases protection of the control practices Resources:
Preparation of atmosphere financial, human
green pellets and material
Energy use Climate change Reduction of the Energy efficiency as a Application of Air
(Mixing+ Ball resources
energy used form of saving financial technologies with low
formation)
resources energy consumption

Quantitative and Water quality Rational use of water Reuse of washing Improving Water
Hardening of qualitative analysis degradation resources in the water in the wastewater quality
pellets production process technological process by complying with
(solidification) the limits imposed by
-Drying current legislation
-Preheating
-Heating Release into the Climate change Reduction or Compliance with Application of a Air
-Cooling atmosphere of and human elimination of threshold levels for the semi-dry cleaning or
NOX, CO2, SO2, health damage harmful/toxic gases protection of the desulphurisation and
HCl, HF powders atmosphere sequential dusting (i
and dust
Heat generated Disruption of Reducing the heat Heat recovery from the Application of Air, Work
working level in the pellet solidification step technologies for heat conditions
conditions solidification area recovery (according
BAT)
Solid waste Increasing the Reducing the amount Minimization of solid Applying best Soil
amount of waste of waste waste / by-products prevention and
control practices
The benefits of implementing Environmental Management
System (I)
 reducing consumption, emissions, waste, energy and water use as well as the impact on
ecosystems;
 reducing costs through better waste management and care for resource consumption;
 better use of financial sources;
 improving the image and public relations;
 conquering new markets;
 gaining the trust of stakeholders, including environmental authorities;
 fulfilment of possible tender criteria;
The benefits of implementing Environmental Management
System (II)

 ensuring partners and customers that environmental legislation is complied with;

 providing the local community with confidence in the environmental protection policy of the
certified company;
 improving working and living conditions;
 limitation of incidents involving the legal responsibility of the organization;
 increasing market presence, especially in the international market;
 the conditions for granting insurance and credit may become more advantageous;
 meeting current market requirements for environmentally friendly products;
 continuous improvement of environmental performance.