NEW RECYCLING METHOD FOR GRINDING SLUDGE FROM THE PRODUCTION OF PERMANENT MAGNETS (ALNICO)

In the grinding process of steel products, considerable amounts of grinding dust are generated, polluted with coolant (oil, oil emulsions), and non-metallic material from abrasive (silicon carbide, aluminum oxide and others). Grinding sludge generated as a result of this mechanism is a valuable source of post-industrial waste containing, apart from iron, such alloying elements as: cobalt, nickel, copper, tungsten, molybdenum, and vanadium. Considering the metallurgical value of grinding sludge, a method for recovering these elements from the sludge has been developed. The article presents a recycling method in a three-stage technological process consisting of sludge de-oiling, sintering, and re-melting in an electrical furnace.