Steel Industry Growing while Reducing Energy Usage

Technological advancements have reduced the energy usage required to produce steel, making it cost less to produce and purchase. However, the steel industry hasn’t stopped evolving. Innovative technologies and policies are being used that make the industry more efficient and sustainable, including new heat recovery systems, air cleaning equipment and promoting the recyclability of steel.

Heat Recovery Systems By capturing exhaust gases and turning them into thermal power, energy isn’t wasted and less CO2 is expelled into that atmosphere. With minimal maintenance costs, heat recovery systems are similar to conventional steam turbine systems; however, instead of generating steam from water, the system vaporizes organic fluid. The machine can be run at lower speeds and removes the need for water, making this a more sustainable approach. Plus, the energy created can be used to power many things, from other equipment and machinery to whole plants.

Air Cleaning Equipment Production processes are also becoming more environmentally-sound. Did you know that anywhere from 20-50 pounds of dust can accumulate from the production of one ton of steel? Instead of allowing that dust to enter the atmosphere, dedusting systems have been put in place to clean the exhaust air before it is expelled. It’s a low-cost, low-energy solution.

Reduce, Reuse, and Most Importantly, Recycle Steel is recyclable and can be used an infinite amount of times. Because of that fact, anyone purchasing steel can contribute to a more sustainable future for the industry by recycling and purchasing excess steel.

As previously mentioned though, there are many byproducts of steel production, including energy and dust. By identifying ways to recycle or dispose of those products, the steel industry is setting itself up for a more innovative and sustainable future.

Your go-to surplus, or Less-Than-Prime (LTP), steel and pipe supplier Texas Iron & Metal can help you chose material. Let us show you how surplus steel and pipe can be used for your next project – now that’s supply on demand.