A comparative study on environmental impact analysis of synthetic and ESR flux used for refining of steel

Abstract Synthetic fluxes used in the steel industry are used for the refining of liquid steel to remove sulfur, phosphorus, and non-metallic inclusions so as to improve the mechanical property and performance of steel during critical applications. Similarly, Electro Slag Remelting (ESR) fluxes are used during the remelting of steel ingots in the ESR process for refining purpose. These fluxes have been manufactured by mixing the various slag components or fusing them at a high temperature. Both of these manufacturing methods have pros and cons during refining of steel. This investigation focuses on the life cycle assessment of different manufacturing processes of fluxes for steel refining. The major objective of this investigation is to perform an analysis of environmental impact assessment of the processes. A detailed comparison of the environmental impact has been carried out and discussed relative to the contribution of different unit steps involved in the manufacturing stage for the cradle-to-gate analysis. The results indicate that energy consumption as well as environmental impact is significant for the mixer and furnace heating step during production of refining fluxes for the steel industry.