Steel making material recycling system

Abstract

A steel processing material comprises a dried post combustion material (PCM) and a slag foaming material.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A steel processing material comprising: 
 (a) dried post combustion material (PCM), and    (b) slag foaming material.    
     
     
         2 . The steel processing material of  claim 1  wherein the slag foaming material comprises about 90% coal and about 10% dolomitic stone.  
     
     
         3 . The steel processing material of  claim 1  comprising about 5% to about 30% of the dried PCM.  
     
     
         4 . The steel processing material of  claim 1  wherein the dried PCM comprises less than about 2% water.  
     
     
         5 . The steel processing material of  claim 1  wherein the dried PCM is of an injectable particle size, has an average particle size sufficiently small to allow injection of the PCM into the heat of steel.  
     
     
         6 . The steel processing material of  claim 1  wherein the dried PCM has maximum particle not greater than about {fraction (5/16)} of an inch.  
     
     
         7 . The steel processing material of  claim 1  wherein the dried PCM comprises about 30% to about 55% Fe.  
     
     
         8 . A method of preparing a steel processing material comprising: 
 (a) process; and    (b) drying the PCM.    
     
     
         9 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 8  wherein drying is conducted in a screw auger dryer.  
     
     
         10 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 9  wherein the screw auger dryer comprises an induction heater.  
     
     
         11 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 9  further comprising sorting the PCM to obtain a fraction having an average particle size processable by the screw auger prior to drying.  
     
     
         12 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 11  wherein PCM is sorted to obtain a fraction having a particle size of about ¾ of an inch.  
     
     
         13 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 8  wherein the drying is conducted in a rotary dryer.  
     
     
         14 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 8  wherein drying the PCM comprises drying the PCM to not greater than about 2% water content.  
     
     
         15 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 8  wherein drying the PCM comprises air drying the PCM to about 6% to about 8% water content.  
     
     
         16 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 8  further comprising sorting the PCM to obtain a fraction having an average particle size processable by an injection gun.  
     
     
         17 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 16  wherein the PCM is sorted to obtain a fraction having a maximum particle size of about {fraction (5/16)} of an inch.  
     
     
         18 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 8  further comprising conveying the dried PCM to a first container.  
     
     
         19 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 8  further comprising mixing the dried PCM with a slag foaming material.  
     
     
         20 . The method of preparing a steel processing material of  claim 19  wherein mixing is conducted by adding the dried PCM and concurrently slag foaming material into a container.  
     
     
         21 . A method of preparing a steel processing material comprising: 
 (a) recovering dry post combustion material (PCM) from a steel making process; and    (b) mixing the PCM with a slag foaming material.    
     
     
         22 . A method of manufacturing steel comprising: 
 (a) melting a first heat of steel comprising a liquid steel portion and a foamy slag wherein the melting generates a post combustion material (PCM);    (b) drying the PCM; and    (c) adding the dried PCM into a second heat of steel.    
     
     
         23 . The method of manufacturing steel of  claim 22  wherein the PCM is recovered from the first heat.  
     
     
         24 . The method of manufacturing steel of  claim 22  further comprising mixing the dried PCM with a slag foaming material before the dried PCM is added to the second heat of steel.  
     
     
         25 . The method of manufacturing steel of  claim 23  wherein the adding of the dried PCM into a second heat of steel comprises injecting the dried PCM with an injection gun.  
     
     
         26 . A steel processing material comprising: 
 (a) a dry recycled material; and    (b) a slag foaming material.    
     
     
         27 . The steel processing material of  claim 26  wherein the material is post combustion material, bag house dust, scale, or iron fines.  
     
     
         28 . The method of manufacturing steel of  claim 23  wherein the steps of melting, drying and adding are repeated until the concentration of heavy metals in the PCM reaches a set point.  
     
     
         29 . The method of manufacturing steel of  claim 28  further comprising sending the PCM to a reclamation process once the concentration of heavy metals in the PCM reaches the set point.