Solid waste recycling, reconditioning and re-use

The journey of civilisation from stone age to modern age has witnessed continuous changes in the environment. The technological advancement has empowered human beings to cope-up with the pressing demand of the enhanced material goods for peaceful and comfortable living. However, the evil of heavy industrialization has caused adverse influence on our environment and our beloved universe is strained due to heavy pollution caused by the industries. Every industry is producing lot of waste products which is discharged in the environment or dumped on Mother Earth. Bhilai Steel Plant has taken a series of initiatives in response to solid waste management in the process of Iron and Steel making. It has been experimented to utilise coke breeze with mill scale along with binders to be used in furnace, after attaining required coke breeze screening and reactivity index. Fire clay bricks grog have been successfully cast to fresh bricks by adjusting granulometry and using suitable binder. Multifarious use of Magnesia carbon brick grog is giving new dimension in cost control and optimal use. Gas cleaning sludge, flue dust, ventilation dust and sinter plant settling tank sludge, rich in iron oxide have been tried as best coolant in steel making. Briquetted lime-dust in place of fresh lime lumps is a well known process. Fly ash from power plants could be pressed with proper binder to produce bricks for building purpose at cheaper cost. Converter sludge after drying and mixing with coke breeze could be briquetted and used as anti-foaming agent during steel making in BOF vessel. The ESP dust of Sinter Plant could be recycled after palletising. There are several solid waste environmental issues which need to be constantly implemented to keep harmony between the nature and the production needs and thus helping to keep the globe clean, green and eco-friendly.