Waste Bakelite Thermoset as Slag Foaming and Iron Oxide Reduction Agents in EAF Steelmaking: Advancing Fossil Fuel Reduction in Steel Industry

This study evaluates the feasibility of using waste Bakelite thermoset as a slag foaming and iron oxide reduction agent in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. Bakelite was blended with metallurgical coke at three ratios (10–30 wt% Bakelite), designated as Blend#1 to Blend#3. All carbon samples were heat-treated at 1000 °C under an argon atmosphere to produce char and were subsequently assessed for carbon–slag interactions at 1550 °C, with emphasis on slag foaming behavior and FeO reduction. The incorporation of Bakelite increased the total carbon content and significantly altered coke ash chemistry, marked by reduced SiO2 and Al2O3 and increased CaO contents. Structural analysis revealed enhanced carbon graphitization with increasing Bakelite proportion. Among all samples, Blend#3 exhibited the most stable and pronounced slag foaming, achieving a maximum volume ratio of approximately 1.7 and forming uniformly distributed, multi-sized gas bubbles within the slag. FeO reduction improved with Bakelite addition, with metallization degrees of 77.30, 81.65, 80.56, and 84.41% for coke, Blend#1, Blend#2, and Blend#3, respectively. Blend#3 produced the lowest total gas emission (186,000 ppm), approximately 30% lower than that of pure coke. These findings demonstrate that waste Bakelite thermoset is an effective low-carbon alternative carbon source for EAF steelmaking, enhancing FeO reduction, slag foaming stability, and overall environmental performance.