Displaying items by tag: Brazil

Brazil/UAE: Harsco Environmental is preparing to present its AgroSilicio fertiliser product made from steel slag at the United Nation’s 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) climate summit taking place in the UAE in November and December 2023. The product has been certified for usage by the Brazilian government, and the state of Minas Gerais invited the company to present it at the event.

AgroSilicio uses recycled steel slag and repurpose it as a calcium silicate-based product that possesses the characteristics of fertiliser and soil conditioner. Harsco Environmental says that the calcium silicate properties of AgroSilicio give the product its versatility. It is being promoted to farming markets in agribusiness. The product is part of the company’s Ecoproducts range and it was introduced in parent company’s Enviri's 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.

Wender Alves, LATAM Regional President at Harsco Environmental, said "Leaders in Minas Gerais State, Brazil are striving to balance industrial growth and sustainability.” He added "It was a breakthrough when we realised that slag from steel production could be transformed into quality fertiliser for the Brazilian agriculture business. We are proud that this has helped significantly reduce the carbon footprint and are honoured to present this on behalf of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, at the world's most important environmental forum."

Brazil: ArcelorMittal has ordered a slag retention system from UK-based Primematals Technologies. This is part of a larger order for two 135t LD converters for basic oxygen furnaces (BOF) at its steel plant in Jõao Monlevade. The Vaicon Stopper slag retention system is intended to minimise the amount of slag that enters the ladle during tapping. This system ensures shorter production cycles and higher steel quality compared with conventional slag retention systems. The overall plant project also includes an upgrade of the primary dedusting systems and complete electrics and automation packages. The start-up of the new equipment is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025.

The Monlevade plant produces wire rod for industrial applications such as steel wool and steel cord. The site is part of ArcelorMittal Brazil’s Long Steel division and has an annual capacity of 1.2Mt/yr.

Brazil: The Falcão Bauer Quality Institute (IFBQ) has certified LafargeHolcim Brasil’s CP III-32 blast furnace slag cement for all construction applications. The certificate confirms that the product offers 50% reduced CO₂ compared to the average cement on the Brazilian market.

The Jornal Dia Dia newspaper has reported that sustainability manager Bruno Hallak said “The IFBQ is an institution recognised by the market and this certification confirms that we are on the right track. The production processes and methodologies evaluated can even be reproduced in other units, according to their local characteristics, increasing the gain for the environment.”

LafargeHolcim Brasil previously obtained IFBQ certification for its CP III-40 blast furnace slag cement, which offers a slightly less reduced clinker factor than CP III-32 cement, in 2021. It was the first cement of its type in Brazil to receive the certification. The company produces both cements at its Vitória grinding plant in Espírito Santo.

US: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the US sold 17Mt of ferrous slags in 2021, a rise of 31% year-on-year from the estimate in 2020. Blast furnace slag represented about 49% of the volume sold and accounted for 87% of the total value ofslag, most of which was granulated. Steel slag produced from oxygen and electric arc furnaces accounted forthe remainder of sales. Slag was processed by 28 companies servicing active iron and steel facilities or reprocessing old slag piles at about 124 processing plants, including some iron and steel plants with more than one slag-processing facility, in 33 States, including facilities that import and grind unground slag to sell as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS).

A further 2.2Mt was imported, a slight decline from 2020. From 2017 to 2020 the USGS reports that 42% of imported slag came from Japan, 18% from Brazil, 11% from China and 10% from Italy.

The USGS noted that during 2021, domestic GGBFS remained in limited supply because granulation cooling was known to be available at only two active US blast furnaces while, elsewhere, only one domestic plant produced pelletised slag in limited supply. Grinding of granulated blast furnace slag was only performed domestically by cement companies. However, following Covid-19 related decrease in availability in 2020, supply of steel slag increased in 2021.

Brazil: Itaci Cement has purchased 100ha of land in Tabuleiro do Norte in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Ceará. Diario do Nordeste has reported that the company has invested US$66m in a development, though whether this will take the form of a clinker grinding or integrated cement plant has not been disclosed.
Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém (CSP) will reportedly supply granulated blast furnace slag to the facility when operational for use as a feedstock.

Brazil: Harsco’s Metals & Minerals division has won a 10-year contract worth US$150m with ArcelorMittal Tubarao, a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal. The deal includes services such as meltshop cleaning, slag handling and crushing, metal recovery and drop ball services.

“We are excited to extend our long association with ArcelorMittal Tubarao for another 10 years,” said Harsco Metals & Minerals chief operating officer Russ Mitchell. “This agreement is key to maintaining our strong strategic presence in Latin America, and it underpins our commitment to our customer by delivering value and adding solutions with the highest quality and safety standards.”

ArcelorMittal Tubarao is one of the largest integrated steel mills in Brazil, with a production capacity of 7.5Mt/yr. It is a leading producer of flat carbon steel, used extensively in the manufacture of automobiles and household appliances. Located on the Vitória harbour, ArcelorMittal Tubarao is well connected to iron ore mines through railroads.

Brazil: ArcelorMittal Tubarão and Usiminas have been nominated in the Steelie Awards for a steel slag rural road-building project. The steel makers have been put forward for the Excellence in sustainability category of the eight edition of the awards organised by the World Steel Association. The winners will be revealed at the annual dinner of the 2017 General Assembly of the association in Brussels, Belgium on 16 October 2017.

ArcelorMittal’s research and development department developed its Revsol and Revsol Plus products, which turn steel slag into a primary road, car park and storage yard coating, replacing the use of non-renewable sources in road building. The manufacturers say that the product also reduces the need for road maintenance.

China/Brazil: Harsco Corporation has signed two multi-year contracts for steel mill services in China and Brazil at a value of over US$100m.

Harsco’s Metals & Minerals division has been selected by Hebei Iron and Steel Group to take over an increased range of onsite mill services at its Tangshan Stainless Steel works, where Harsco already provides environmental services relating to the commercial sale of the mill’s slag co-products. With the new contract, Harsco now adds onsite slag handling, metal recovery and briquetting to its responsibilities. Tangshan Stainless produces premium-grade steels for automotive and consumer markets. The deal will include the use of Harsco’s steam box technology for steel slag processing.

In Brazil, Harsco has been selected by one of the country’s largest fully integrated steelmakers to extend Harsco’s services for onsite scrap handling, slag transport, metal recovery and melt shop support. Harsco has been providing support to the mill’s flat steel operations for more than three decades, and to its mini-mill since its inception in 2014.

“These contracts reflect our renewed ambitions to grow the Metals & Minerals business following two years of successful transformation. Our relationships in both contracts demonstrate our capacity to provide long-term value to customer operations in parallel with lasting benefit to the environment,” said Harsco president and chief executive officer Nicholas Grasberger.