Technical-economic perspective of using composite alternative fuels in metallurgical production

The conditions of enterprises operation in steel sector for the globalization era are constantly changing. In line with its ambition to strengthen its competitive position it is necessary to look for sources of competitive advantage. This should be done through both strategic and operational decisions. The advancement of resource efficiency can be achieved by the use innovative, alternative fuels in metallurgical production. Fine tailings produced as a result of hard coal beneficiation process and its preparation, not so long ago regarded as useless materials, are gaining more and more often value as minerals. Increasingly, intense research is being conducted on the possibility of using them as carbonaceous materials in metallurgical processes, e.g. in the iron ore sintering process, in the pyrometallurgical processes for the preparation of copper or in the process of recycling of metal-bearing materials. This paper presents the possibility of using composite alternative fuels for use in the processes of pyrometallurgy of copperas an alternative reducing agent as well as an energy carrier (alternative fuel) to currently used coke breeze. These fuels are mainly based on waste carrier of "C" element, and the composition of the fuel is modelled in order to obtain the appropriate energy an demission parameters as well as strength parameters. The paper presents benefit analysis of using composite alternative fuels in metallurgical production.