Speaker
Description
Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica is one of the main health issues for workers when using certain acidic tundish covering powders, such as rice ash. Since exposure to RCS is considered as carcinogenic, the EU has introduced a VLE and an obligation to control the exposure levels in workplaces.
Acidic tundish powder is required to cast certain steel grades in medium-long sequence. They have a high melting point and a good resistance to sintering.
Deref has developed, in collaboration with ArcelorMittal, an acid low Respirable Crystalline Silica powder. This product, called Ecosiv SiH SG, contains selected low CS raw materials. It is produced using a spray-drying process, which minimizes the respirable fraction.
Long-term industrial use in various steel plants has confirmed the good performance of the product. Moreover, studies show that the product leads to limited transformation and reduced fines fraction production during use.
The combination of low CS raw materials, the spray-drying production process, and limited transformation during use helps to reduce the RCS emissions and to maintain the worker exposure below legal limits.