Incorporating scrap during the iron ore refining process is a significant technique for upscaling the efficiency of iron production and material resource management. The recycling of steel enriched scrap is crucial for functioning as critical iron resources that can dissolve into and blend with the melting iron more easily. The primary benefit is that it lessens the need for raw iron ore and coke, thus trimming down the costs of the initial products and preserving natural resources. In this context, the cost is reduced by almost 75% since recycling does not require raw materials and wastes much upfront energy (Gary, 2018).

This efficiency reduces the demand for mining iron, eventually conserving natural resources. It is surprising to note that using 100% of steel scrap produces almost half the steel. Additionally, the scrap augments the speed of smelting and the overall thermal usefulness in the long run. Another remarkable attribute of adding scrap is that it helps in stabilizing the furnace’s temperature. Since steel is metallic, less energy is needed to dissolve it than iron ore, which requires conversion from an oxide structure into a liquid state. Such energy optimization helps to sustain the precise furnace temperature, which is vital for encouraging the crucial chemical reactions and ensuring higher-quality pig iron production. Moreover, the usage of scrap minimizes the requirement for new iron ore mining, thereby mitigating associated problems related to resource extraction (Gary, 2018). This recycling was possible as the demand for steel scrap has increased worldwide with its recovery for recycling hitting almost 393 million tonnes in 2019.

Consequently, using fewer materials to make steel and repurposing scrap reduces pollution and energy use. The scrap has significantly lessened the impact of the steel industry on the environment, especially in reducing the need for new iron ore and materials. The future goals entail recycling as many materials as possible to create a zero-waste world, thus making the whole production process eco-friendly. The use of new steel baruses116 megajoules per kilogram compared to the recycled steel, which uses 11 megajoules per kilogram. Collectively, the use of scrap in furnace operations boosts their efficiency and promotes economic and ecological sustainability (Gary, 2018). Therefore, the action is suitable for recycling and conserving resources for the future generations and economies.

Reference

Gary J, D, L, S, T, S, & T. (2018). Steel Scrap Availability in the United States. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. https://doi.org/10.17226/25172

I think that incorporating scrap metal into the iron ore processing in a blast furnace is crucial for enhancing energy efficiency, lowering costs, reducing environmental effects, and producing steel with targeted characteristics.

I think it is bad to add scrap to blast furnace, because it is much more efficient ecologically and economically to use scrap in BOF or EAF. Only if scrap quality is bad for steelmaking or you want to boost BF productivity it is reasonable to add scrap to blast furnace.