Mineralogical and Chemical Specificity of Dusts Originating from Iron and Non-Ferrous Metallurgy in the Light of Their Magnetic Susceptibility

Abstract

This study aims at detailed characteristics and comparison between dusts from various iron and non-ferrous metal production processes in order to identify individual mineral phases, chemical composition, and their influence on the values of magnetic susceptibility. Various analytical methods used include inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Mössbauer spectroscopy integrated with magnetic susceptibility measurements and thermomagnetic analysis. Metallurgical wastes that have arisen at different production stages of iron and non-ferrous steel are subjected to investigation. The analyzed dust samples from the iron and non-ferrous metallurgy differ in terms of magnetic susceptibility as well as their mineral and chemical composition. The research confirmed the presence of many very different mineral phases. In particular, interesting phases have been observed in non-ferrous dust, for example challacolloite, which was found for the first time in the dusts of non-ferrous metallurgy. Other characteristic minerals found in non-ferrous metallurgy dusts are zincite, anglesite, and lanarkite, while dusts of iron metallurgy contain mostly metallic iron and iron-bearing minerals (magnetite, hematite, franklinite, jacobsite, and wüstite), but also significant amounts of zincite and calcite.

The chemical suitability for recycling of zinc contaminated steelmaking by-product dusts: The case of the UK steel plant

“…10). The sextet fitted with zero quadrupolar splitting and chemical shift likely corresponds to metallic α-Fe (CS = 0 mm/s, H = 33.0 T) (Stevens et al, 2005) and the doublet (CS = 1.04 mm/s, QS = 0.67 mm/s) likely corresponds to Fe 2+ in Wüstite (FeO) (Jabłońska et al, 2021). This is consistent with powder XRD analysis which also indicated the presence of metallic Fe and FeO.…”

“…Previous work in the literature suggested that 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy can be utilized to detect and differentiate the small amounts of ZnFe 2 O 4 that can be found in steelmaking dusts from spinel more easily than using powder XRD (Jabłońska et al, 2021;Vereš et al, 2010).…”

Magnetic fraction of the atmospheric dust in Kraków – physicochemical characteristics and possible environmental impact

“…It is often assumed that anthropogenic Fe-rich particles are mostly spherical (e.g., Choël et al, 2007). It is the common form originating from high temperature processes, but in iron metallurgy dust of different shape, size and chemical composition can be emitted (Jarzębski and Kapała, 1975;Wilczyńska-Michalik 1981;Jabłońska et al 2021). In 1979 Steelworks in Krakow alone emitted dust containing 18 000 tons of Fe (Cole 1991).…”

Using the Vertical Distribution of Magnetic Susceptibility in the Assessment of Soil Condition in the Krakow Area, Southern Poland

“…urban dust [16]- [18], soils [19], lake sediments [20]. A wide range of materials, even sometimes very unusual like snow, leaves or spider webs, allow us to study all types of the environment.…”