Patent ID: 7014678

Claim:
A method of recycling mill scale from iron or steel to produce iron or steel, said method comprising the steps of: collecting mill scale from the production of iron or steel, said mill scale comprising mill scale, oil or similar mineral hydrocarbons, and water; adding a mixture of additives and absorbents to said mill scale to form a mill scale slurry, wherein the water content is 0.5 to 35 wt. % with reference to the total weight of the mill scale slurry, wherein said step of adding a mixture of additives and absorbents comprises: adding additives comprising at least one of: water-repellent agents, calcium compounds, and alcohols; adding an absorbent for absorbing said mineral hydrocarbons or for absorbing said water, which absorbent comprises: zinc salts or calcium salts of a carboxylic acid; and adding a hydraulic binder in a quantity that corresponds to the mineral hydrocarbon content and the water content and is in a proportion of 2 to 30 wt. % of the weight of the mill scale slurry, said hydraulic binder comprises: cement, alumina, Portland cement, burnt lime or fly ash; mixing said mill scale slurry; homogenizing said mill scale slurry; encapsulating and binding said oil, such that said oil is essentially only released at a temperature which is at or above an ignition point of a gas being discharged in a shaft furnace or converter to permit said oil to be essentially immediately combusted; heating said mill scale slurry during mixing to evaporate a proportion of the water to a proportion required for pelleting; agglomerating and pelletizing said mill scale slurry; recycling said agglomerated and pelletized mill scale slurry in an iron or steel production operation to permit combustion of components containing carbon; and producing iron or steel.