What is the cost-effective method to recover zinc from electric arc furnace dust powder? Follower of metallurgy? Hydrometallurgy? Or bury the powder in the ground?
The Waelz Kiln, a dirty, polluting high-carbon smelting process is the common way of treating EAFD, when it is treated. There is one hydro plant, Ezinex in Italy, which uses an ammonium chloride process. Generally, however, the dust is landfilled, and it is regarded as a toxic waste. It does, however, contain significant zinc valuers as you note. I have attached a paper I wrote a couple of years ago, which covers all of the processes that are or have been proposed. It also presents what I consider to be the only economically-viable way of treating EAFD. We are currently in discussion with a major steel mill about threating their dust.
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