Physico-chemical Characterization of Sponge Iron Solid Waste of Maithan Steel Plant ? A Case Study

Solid waste management has received many challenges that the steel industry faces today. The requirements of 4R i. e reduce, reuse, recycle and restore the materials for sustainable development by meeting the needs of our present generation without compromising the ability of future generation. India is the largest producer of Direct Reduced Iron in the world. In steel Industry, the production of steel is associated with the generation of solid waste materials like slag, dust, sludge, fly ash etc. Significant quantities of wastes are generated from steelmaking process which is a focus point now-a-days w. r. t its utilization as well as environmental impact. Steelmaking process broadly includes all operations from primary and secondary steelmaking to ingot and continuous casting of steel. At each of these stages of steelmaking process, substantial amounts of wastes are generated. So it is required to minimize and utilize the waste through integrated waste management which has gained special significance in the present scenario, as these wastes have a wide ranging impact on the environment. It is very essential not only for recycling of the valuable metals and mineral resources but also to protect the environment. This paper summarizes and analyzes the generation, composition, characteristics and present status of the utilization of the most of the wastes obtained from sponge iron of Maithan Ispat limited.