Method of producing stainless steel by re-using waste material of stainless steel producing process

Abstract

A method of producing stainless steel includes the steps of melting a raw material in an electric furnace to form molten steel, and then refining the molten steel by a refining furnace to produce stainless steel in a stainless steel producing process. In the method, a carbonaceous reducing agent is added to a zinc-containing waste material produced in the stainless steel producing process, the resultant mixture is agglomerated by a briquette press to form agglomerates incorporated with a carbonaceous material, the agglomerates incorporated with the carbonaceous material are heated in a rotary hearth furnace to reduce and evaporate zinc to form dezincified agglomerates, and then the dezincified agglomerates are charged as a coolant in an oxidation period of the refining furnace.

1 . Dezincified agglomerates comprising a carbonaceous reducing agent and a zinc-containing waste material produced in a stainless steel producing step, wherein the dezincified agglomerates are formed by adding the carbonaceous reducing agent to the zinc-containing waste material to form agglomerates incorporated with a carbonaceous material, and heating the agglomerates incorporated with the carbonaceous material to evaporate and remove zinc, to produce the dezincified agglomerates having a residual carbon content of 2% by mass or less.  
   
   
       2 . Dezincified agglomerates comprising a carbonaceous reducing agent and a zinc-containing waste material produced in a stainless steel producing step, wherein the dezincified agglomerates are formed by adding the carbonaceous reducing agent to the zinc-containing waste material to form a mixture, heating the mixture to evaporate and remove zinc, producing a dezincified mixture, and then agglomerating the dezincified mixture to produce the dezincified agglomerates having a residual carbon content of 2% by mass or less.