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Sinter Process Uses and Exposures

Use

In REACH the definition of Use relates to how the substance is handled.Use means =processing, formulation, consumption , storage, keeping, treatment, fillinginto containers, transfer from one container to another, mixing, production of an articleor any other utilisation

Preparation

Ores, recycled materials, fluxes, lime and olivine at

the blending plant. Mixed

Stored in bunkers

Transferred from one area to another container

Coke / Coal crushed to form breeze.

Crushed (processed) Transferred from one area to another container

Production The blend and coke are mixed together and weighed.

Mixed

Transferred from one area to another container

Pelletised (processed)

Weighed (processed)

Wetted (treatment)

Added to the strand at high temperature to form a cake.

Transferred from one area to another container

Processed at High temperature

Cake broken down on crash deck or in crusher.

Broken or crushed (processed)

Transferred from one area to another container

Cooling and Screening

Cooled at coolers. Cooled (treatment)

Transferred from one area to another container

Screened to remove over and under size sinter.

Mechanical screening (processed)

Transferred from one area to another container

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Other Activities

Maintenance Maintenance activities on several parts of the plant.

Bunkers

Conveyors

Screens Crusher

Precipitators

Wind mains

General cleaning operations

Sampling

Sampling activities at the sinter plant.

Sinter Sampler

Hearth layer oversize

Hearth layer under size

Coal crushing plant

Precipitator dust

Sampling activities at the blast furnaces.

Sinter fines

Bottom bunkers sinter

Exposure

Activities in the above areas could all produce exposure due to areas of built up dust from theprocess. Cleaning operations will create the highest exposures due to the manualdisturbance of the dust using brushes and shovels, bobcats and suction. Due to theoperation being semi automatic there is generally minimal numbers of employees on the plantduring operation and when this does occur it is for only short periods of time. Maintenanceand some cleaning usually takes place on a down day or a turn-around when operations havebeen stopped and the number of employees increase in that area. Key areas of exposureare:

Pelletiser area, cleaning under general operations

Wind mains cleaning during down days stoppage Screens, maintenance and c leaning during down days stoppage only 1

screen at a time so the other is sti ll in operation

Conveyors, cleaning spilt material during down days stoppage

Exclusions

In this process we want to focus solely on the use and exposure of Sinter and its constituents.F l thi ill t i l d t i i i h Di i th h th t k

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Sinter Process Uses and Exposure (SU, PC and PROC taken from Guidance on Information requirements and chemical safety assessment

Chapter R.12 Use Descriptor system May 2008)

Sector Use(SU)

ProductCategory

(PC)

ProcessCategory(PROC)

Operational ConditionsPhysical formof substance

Physical formof exposure

FugacityRoute ofExposure

SU14 Manufacture

of basicmetals

PC7 Basemetals and

alloys

PC19 -Intermediate

PROC 2

PROC 8b

PROC 14

PROC 22

Large volume continuous

24 hours / day

Temperature: ambient to1300C

Semi closed system

Semi automated operation

Transported via conveyorand bunkers

Powder / dustto massive

Dust Powder/dust: High

Massive: Low

Human

Inhalation

Environment

Water(waste stream)

Air

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PROC table with Eurometaux edits and suggestions that fit with Sinter.

Process Categories (PROC) Descript ion

PROC 2 - Use in closed process, no likelihood of exposure Continuous process but where the design philosophy is not specifically aimedat minimizing emissions. It is not high integrity and occasional expose will

arise e.g. through maintenance, sampling and equipment break-insPROC 8b - Transfer of substance or preparation (charging/discharging)

from/to vessels/large containers at dedicated facilitiesN/a

PROC 14 - Production of preparations or articles by tabletting, compression,extrusion, pelettisation

N/a

PROC 22 - Potentially closed operations with minerals/metals at elevatedtemperature

Activities at smelters, furnaces, refineries, coke ovens. Exposure related todust and fumes to be expected. Emission of direct cooling may be relevant.

Undefined - Handling of solid inorganic substances at ambient temperature Proposed by EUROMETAUX and the metals industry not yet confirmedHandling of ores, concentrates, raw metal oxides and scrap, packaging,

unpacking, mixing/blending and weighing of metal powder/inorganics, andshipping/transportation of metal products and inorganic substances