EUROPEAN STEEL TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION DAYS 2017 - ESTAD 2017

The recycling and treatment of radioactively contaminated scraps, mostly from the nuclear industry, are becoming more and more prominent issues facing the iron and steel sector. A proposed treatment route of steel containing radionuclides is with the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). However, a deep understanding of the behavior of radionuclides (mostly cesium and strontium) during arc melting has to be established, so as to ensure both the cleanliness of the final steel, appropriate handling of radioactive slag/off-gas, and the safety of plant personnel. In the present study, thermodynamic equilibrium distribution of Cs and Sr between molten metal, slag and gas phases under the EAF process conditions were evaluated. Critical evaluation and optimization of the thermodynamic properties of Cs and Sr in molten Fe and slag were conducted, based on existing literature data.