Development of Waste Plastics Recycling Process Using Coke Ovens

Abstract

The Japan Iron & Steel Federation, as its voluntary energy-saving action plan, proposed a 10% energy reduction by 2010 with 1990 as the basis. Further, it has put forward an additional 1.5% energy saving by the use of waste plastics as a metallurgical raw material. The investigation of the use of waste plastics by the steel industry has mainly focused on processing in blast furnaces. On the other hand, the coking process is considered to be a promising area to which the thermal decomposition of waste plastics is applicable because the process involves coal carbonization at a high-temperature in reducing atmosphere.To evaluate the conversion rate of various waste plastics after carbonization using coke ovens, laboratory tests and actual coke oven tests were conducted. As a result, the yield of coke, gas, tar and light oil were 20%, 40% and 40%, respectively. And it was found that the 1% addition of waste plastics in raw coal did not deteriorate the coke strength. Waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens started at Nippon Steel Nagoya and Kimitsu works in 2000.