Recycling Waste Bakelite As A Carbon Resource In Ironmaking

Abstract Bakelite is a 3-dimensional cross-linked network structured thermosetting polymer which is difficult to recycle after use. However it contains high levels of carbon and CaCO3 that can be recovered for use as reductant and fluxing agent in ironmaking. In this work we report the use of post-consumer bakelite as reductant for the production of metallic iron from iron oxide in a horizontal tube furnace through the composite pellet approach.Gas emission studies were conducted by pyrolysing raw bakelite at different temperatures within the temperature range 1200-1600 C in a horizontal tube furnace. Following thiscomposite pellets were then formed from mixtures of iron oxide and post-consumer bakelite.The iron oxide-bakelite composites were heated from room temperature to 1200 C and then between 1200-1600 C in a continuous stream of pure argon and the off gas was analysed continuously using an infrared IR gas analyser. Elemental analyses of samples of the reduced metal were performed chemically for its oxygen content using a LECO oxygennitrogen analyser. The extent of reduction after ten minutes was determined from the oxygen content. Gas emission studies revealed the emission of large volumes of the reductant gases CO and CH4along with CO2.It is further demonstrated that post-consumer bakelite is effective at reducing iron oxide to produce metallic iron.