The DUST R&D project, funded by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) and awarded to Técnicas Reunidas, with a duration of 2.5 years, aims to transform the treatment of steelmaking dust waste into new raw materials. The project focuses on developing a flexible and compact technology whose main objective is the recovery of the zinc (Zn) contained in this waste.
Steelmaking dust is a residue generated in electric arc furnaces within the steel industry during steel production. It is classified as a hazardous industrial waste due to its content of heavy metals such as lead, chromium, cadmium, and zinc, with zinc being the main component. Despite its potential value, only around 50% of steelmaking dust produced worldwide is currently recycled and recovered, mainly due to the high cost of existing recovery processes. At present, untreated steelmaking dust is typically subjected only to stabilization processes and subsequently disposed of in hazardous waste landfills.
The DUST R&D project seeks to change this scenario by developing a flexible and compact treatment technology capable of converting steelmaking dust waste into new raw materials, with particular emphasis on zinc recovery. This technology is specifically oriented toward smallscale applications, where there is a clear unmet market need that is not addressed by currently available technologies.
The objectives of Técnicas Reunidas within the project are as follows:
