Dry Slag Granulation technology to be tested on industrial scale in China

Australia’s CSIRO has formed an agreement with Beijing MCC Equipment Research & Design Corporation (MCCE), that will see the Chinese company trial CSIRO’s Dry Slag Granulation (DSG) technology on an industrial scale.

The dry slag granulation rig is fitted to blast furnaces to produce granulated slag and heated air.

DSG technology for blast furnaces comprises a spinning disc and granulation chamber, which separates molten slag into droplets under centrifugal forces. It uses air to quench and solidify the droplets, extracting a granulated slag product and heated air. The air can be utilised for drying, preheating or steam generation onsite.

According to CSIRO, the ‘glassy’ granulated slag product is well suited for use in the cement manufacturing process, while DSG reduces water consumption and underground water pollution.

The technology has been developed by CSIRO over a period of more than 10 years, together with industry partners such as Arrium and BlueScope.

If MCCE’s use of DSG on an industrial scale is successful then the technology will be commercialised in China and then, potentially, on an international level. It is worth noting that of the 300 million tpy of iron blast furnace slag produced worldwide, 60% originates in China.

“Our collaboration is an exciting step towards the uptake of an innovation with real prospects of transforming the productivity and environmental performance of global iron smelting,” said CSIRO Director of the Mineral Resources Flagship, Jonathan Law. “The benefits from wide uptake of DSG technology on blast furnaces will be profound in helping the global industry to reduce water and energy use and greenhouse gas emissions while sustaining metal production.”

“The benefits each year from full commercialisation and adoption of DSG technology are in the order of 60 billion litres of water, 800 petajoules of heat energy and 60 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Those savings are equivalent to 14% of Australia’s energy use and about 10% of our greenhouse gas emissions each year,” added Law.

Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/asia-pacific-rim/16032015/dsg-technology-to-be-trialled-on-industrial-scale-526/