Dust2Value

The Horizon Europe project Dust2Value, led by Montanuniversität Leoben, has been launched to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a novel process for efficiently recovering valuable metals, primarily zinc and iron, from steelmaking residue streams. The Dust2Value process uses green hydrogen to reduce zinc and iron oxides from the residue. The zinc metal evaporates due to the high process temperature, re-oxidizes with water vapor to form fine-dispersed ZnO particles, and exits the furnace via the off-gas stream. These particles are recovered in bag house filters and serve as a secondary zinc concentrate. Additionally, the process produces secondary-grade DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) that can be recycled within the EAF steelmaking route. The innovative design of the Dust2Value process recovers heat and hydrogen during the re-oxidation of zinc vapor, enhancing resource and energy efficiency. Insights from basic research have led to an optimized process design that achieves exceptionally high extraction rates for zinc and a high metallization degree for iron. Project objectives: The main goal of the Dust2Value project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the process concept within a TRL5 prototype. The project employs a holistic approach to sustainably recover valuables from secondary resources, strategically addressing various facets of the steelmaking residue recycling to resolve associated challenges: • Recover iron and close the zinc cycle • Prevent CO2 emissions • Improve process efficiency of residue recycling • Ensure sustainable recycling for various steelmaking residues • Implement a digital twin of the prototype • Design, build, and operate a scalable prototype