Skrotflöden i samhället/Recycling of steel
Recycling of steel in the society
Project leader: Dr Sven Ekerot, KTH
Introduction
Closed loop production and use of steel implies recycling. This reduces energy consumption figures considerably compared to linear primary metallurgy. Besides it conserves natural resources. This study is aimed at a fundamental analysis of the variables controlling the degree of recycling of steel. In particular it is believed to be necessary to develop new knowledge about the recycling of different steel product categories. Thus, by quantifying the flows of stratified steel products, i. e. production, transportation, use and collection (or possibly reuse), the intention is to create new knowledge useful to predict future degrees of recycling. In addition the aim is to develop tools to optimize the recycling of steel.
Historically steel has always been recycled; however with little, or vague, attention on what really influences the degree of recycling. The new environmental paradigm makes it gradually more necessary to pay more interest in what controls it. The outcome of this study is also intended as a base for future research work aiming at improvement of the recycling.
Beside other research groups there are three major stakeholders in this project:
- The steel industry
- The recycling industry
- The state/society, i e its ecological sustainability.
These have a common interest to optimize conditions for recycling of steel. The industry of course has to comply with environmental policies, but there is also a strong driving force for the steel industry to secure part of its raw material base, while the recycling industry naturally wants to increase the size of its business. The society has several reasons to promote recycling. Beside conservation of energy and natural resources, the citizens have an interest in avoiding scrap deposits in nature by keeping recycling at maximum level.
Goals
General
The main scope of the project is to analyze the influence of economical and technical variables on the degree and appearance of the recycling of steel. Historical figures will be used to create a model for the relations governing the recycling. The model will be used for forecasting and production of specific analyses of future possible developments.
Industrial
To deliver methods and strategies to direct the scrap usage in society towards an optimum from a viewpoint of resource conservation and decreased environmental effects.
Environmental
To decrease the emissions of carbon dioxide by ca 80 000 tons/year, the electricity consumption by 200 000 MWh/year and the consumption of raw materials by 60 000 tons/year. (Estimated effect +10 years from 2004, for Swedish steel- and scrap industry).
Work plan
Work plan consists mainly of the efforts to establishing the necessary knowledge and development of the model. Parallel, specific issues will be analyzed and investigated with a goal of immediate publication in appropriate media.
Below, a rough work plan for the development of the project will be presented.
- State of the art: A literature survey of actual articles
- Network, cooperation:
- Analysis of specific areas
- The model
- Data collection
- Administration
- "Factors and relations ruling the scrap price in the long perspective",
- "Effect of scrap price on collecting rate of obsolete scrap"
- "Accumulation of steel in use and hidden scrap in the society"
Deliverables for 2004-2008
- Analyses of specific issues within the overall objective of the B5 -project, reported and published appropriately.
- Mathematical model of steel circulation in society
- Cooperation on European level
Status för 2007 och R&D activities för 2008 skall skrivas in i Bilaga 2 med blå text Deliverables for 2004-2005
R & D activities | Status |
Analysis: "Accumulation of steel in use and hidden scrap in the society" | This was initially an example of final deliverable of the whole project. A decision in the project group it's not in plan of 2006, se below. This topic will be covered in 2007 and result in a report. |
Analysis: "Effect of scrap price on collecting rate of obsolete scrap"
| This was also initially an example of final deliverable of the whole project. This topic will be covered in 2007 but not lead to a report. |
| Draft on stratified model of steel circulation | Work has started on definitions and structure, report scheduled for Feb -06. Have been covered in 2006 and will be continue in 2007 |
Deliverables for 2006
R & D activities | Status |
Literature survey: Constructional Steel | A literature survey on "Structural Steel Recycling" has been delivered by Joakim Widman |
Literature survey: Steel recycling | Literature has been covered in the report " Modelling and stratification of scrap flows on the Swedish market" by Rutger Gyllenram |
Literature survey: Flow of material | Joakim Widman has done a basic steel MFA approach in the report "A methodological Study of Material Flow Accounting and Analysis (MFA) Applied to the Swedish Steel Industry" |
| Literature survey: Surveillance | Ongoing |
Model: Definitions and structure, first circulation | Sven Ekerot has in report "Methodological studies for the rate of steel recirculation" developed definitions and rate of steel circulation with focus on losses in the use phase. |
Model: development | Rutger Gyllenram has delivered a report "Modelling and Stratification of scrap flows on the Swedish market" |
Network Domestic | Domestic network has developed towards contacts with access to steel flow data. As for example, Elkretsen, Bil Sweden, Metallkretsen and JBF |
Network International | We have established good contacts with IISI and all their experts as well as Eurofer. These contacts helped us to develop the important contacts leading to The EU application on "Steel recycling in the Society " with the acronym ROSES |
RFCS- Europe | KTH has taken the lead and acted coordinator for an proposal to RFCS on Steel Recycling in the society (ROSES), After a suggestion from high ranked persons in ARCELOR we decided to let ROSES be a part of the European project Sovamat planned to be a FP7 program in 2007 and which is led by J.P. Birat |
| Cooperation Japan | Postponed due to focus on Europe |
| Lost analysis: Corrosion: | Planned for 2007 |
| Analysis: Price mechanism | Planned for 2007 |
| Analysis: Stock flow | Planned for 2007 |
| Analysis: Stock per capita | Planned for 2007 |
Analysis: Constructional Steel
| Joakim Widman has delivered a draft on "Structural Steel Recycling" with emphasis on Steel construction, product flows and recyclability in a Swedish perspective. Final report planned for first quarter of 2007. Owing to ill-health the report is delayed to Q1-2008. |
Deliverables for 2007
R & D activities | Status |
Develop methods for interpretation of collected data from market. Report and international publication
| All Swedish institutions and companies with access to appropriate statistical data have been contacted and interviewed. This material is now being analysed. Draft 2007 and international publication Q1-Q2 2008 |
Cooperation on European level on steel circulation in society. Lead the formulation and organization of a proposal on steel circulation | Fulfilled Q3 2007 by the ROSES proposal to the EU research fund RFCS. The ROSES project contain 10 different partners among them some of the larger carbon steel producers and stainless steel producers as well as leading research institutions in the recycling research in Europe. The project consists of 8 work packages covering the topic: Recirculation of steel in the European society. |
Develop the circulation model based on stratification and the product to product concept. Report and publication. | The circulation model is in its basic structure ready. The model is based on the international accepted MFA concept and in detail the STAN system developed by Universität Wien in Austria. Draft 2007 Report and publication Q1-Q2 2008. |
Work will be done on "Accumulation of steel in use and hidden scrap in the society" Internal reports | Our analyses have shown that redundant material have an impact on total recycling. This issue is rather difficult to get hold of and have not been reported earlier but we plan some type of publication. Draft 2007. Internal report and planned publication Q2 2008 |
Work will be done on "Losses during material in use" Internal reports
| We have found that our new approach to look at the losses as a complement to statistical data on recycling flows is very useful. We have therefore enlarged this approach to the whole circle of flow. This means that we have created o lot of contacts in areas like corrosion, lean fabrication, pile-driving etc. Draft Q1 2008 and planned publication Q2 and Q3 2008. |
Studies and tests in order to reduce disposals with focus on metal waste from incinerators and grindings.Study of impact of foreseen shredder technology development on the scrap flow especially on today not fully exploited scrap resources.
| We have identified the losses from iron containing waste from incinerators and grindings to be very important from a circulation and environmental view. A special study of these issues is now being performed including interviews with the actors from incinerator plants to potentially consuming steel plants. Physical tests of incinerator scrap are planned for the Q1 2008. Internal reports Q2-2008 and planned publications Q3 2008. |
Deliverables for 2008
| R & D activities | Status |
| Finalize the steel circulation model for Sweden. This model is based both on collected data on circulation flows but also on the loss analysis. | |
| Report on importance of redundant material for the recirculation and other environmental aspects. Redundant material and its reduction contain an underestimated potential for large economical and environmental gains on a societal base. | |
| Report on the need for and suggestions on an improved statistical data collecting and treatment system on national level in the steel circulation area. | |
| A comparative study of real losses at all different stages in the steel circulation. The result can be used for optimizing efforts for improving overall recycling rates. | |
| Special study of incinerator and grinding scrap. The aim is to reduce the large losses of iron units in this area. Planned are physical tests of the scrap at different stages. | |
| Report on shredder plant development. Consequences of continued investments in increased shredder capacity in Sweden will be analysed. | |
| Final report of the project |
Fragmentering
/Shredding
... är en teknik som används för sönderdelning av skrot innan det smälts om till nytt stål. Genom att utveckla tekniken att finfördela skrotet kan variationerna i dess samman-sättning minskas och dess densitet ökas. Detta innebär att stålindustrin vid omsmältning av skrotet kan reducera både sitt elbehov och sina utsläpp av koldioxid.
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Laseranalys
/Laser analysis
... är en teknik som nu utvecklas för snabb bestämning av skrotets metallinnehåll. Stålindustrin väntas här få tillgång till en teknologi som kan komma att reducera behovet av jungfruliga metaller vid användning av skrot för tillverkning av nytt stål.
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Skrotflödet i samhället
/Recycling of steel
... är trots den höga återvinningsgraden föga dokumenterat. Med bättre kunskaper skapas förutsättningar för ökad återvinning och bättre styrning av skrotsorter för optimerad skrot-användning. Stålindustrin får möjlighet att effektivisera sin energianvänd-ning, stora ekonomiska värden tas till vara och miljöbelastningen minskar.
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Ytrening av skrot
/Surface cleaning of scrap
... är en teknik som skall bredda användningen av färg- och metallbelagt skrot som råvara till ett ökat antal stålsorter. För stålindustrin innebär användning av ytrenat och förvärmt skrot att både energi-användning och koldioxidutsläpp kan reduceras. Dessutom kan den avdrivna zinkbeläggningen komma att återanvändas inom zinkindustrin.
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Vanadinutvinning
/Recovery of Vanadium
Det finns låga halter av vanadin i svensk järnmalm. Genom utveckling av metoder för utvinning av vanadinet får en redan exploaterad naturresurs ett ökat miljövärde.
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Ökat metallutbyte vid smältning av stål/New melting processes EAF
... är teoretiskt möjligt genom metallurgisk manipulering under smältförloppet. Målet är att skapa sådana förhållanden att metaller överförs till stålet i stället för till slaggen. Detta innebär minskat behov av jungfruliga metaller, samtidigt som slaggen kan ges nya användnings-områden.
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Återvinning av slagg
/New slag systems EAF
... är tekniskt möjligt genom utveckling av nya metoder för lakning av olika metaller ur slagger, t.ex vanadin, och behandling av slagger så de kan användas som t.ex isoleringsmaterial eller cementråvara. Vissa slagger kan också användas som ny slaggbildare i stålprocessen, vilket minskar behovet av ny kalk. Återvinning av slagg miinskar både behovet av deponering och förbrukningen av nya naturresurser vid ståltillverkningen.
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Bevarande av alla ämnen i skrotet
/Tolerance of recycled elements
... är en teoretisk studie som skall söka klarlägga hur dessa kan nyttjas för att ge den färdiga stålproduktens önskade egenskaper. Om sådan "självlegering" blir praktisk möjlig kan de metalliska ämnen som finns i skrotet, och som normalt avlägsnas i processen, bevaras i det nya stålet. Detta innebär att förlusten av metaller ur stålets kretslopp kan reduceras.
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Nya höghållfasta stålprodukter
/Optimisation of hot rolling
... är ett forskningsprojekt som skall identifiera de processparametrar som vid värmning och valsning har störst inverkan på materialegenskaperna. De nya rönen kan ge stålindustrin möjligheter att med ökad precision framställa nya avancerade stålsorter och samtidigt minska förbrukningen av fossila bränslen.
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Metoder för lättare stålkonstruktioner
/High strength steel structures
...ska för avancerade höghållfasta stål utmynna i att stålets egenskaper kopplas till produkternas användning och återvinning ur ett livscykelperspektiv. Genom denna metodutveckling kan stål-, bygg- och verkstadsindustrin få nya infallsvinklar på användandet av stål som både kan minska behovet av jungfruliga metaller och reducera emissionerna vid såväl tillverkning som användning av produkterna.
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Miljövärderingsanalyser
/Environmental evaluation
I. Methodology for evaluation of environmental impact
...ska påvisa Stålkretsloppets miljövärde med beaktande av ekologiska, tekniska och sociala faktorer. Miljövärderingar ger forskare, industri, användare och samhället i övrigt möjlighet att värdera såväl stålets nytta för miljön som dess belastning på miljön ur ett livscykelperspektiv. En metod som gör miljövärderingar tillgängliga för objektiva beslut.
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II. Conjoint analysis as a decision tool for evaluation of environmental performance of for instance experts and consumers preferences
... tar fram en metod för att mäta olika experters och andra intressenters attityder till och värdering av komplexa miljöfrågor.
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