Duisburg
Dkrecycling Duisburg
Today the DK Recycling & Roheisen GmbH is one of the largest recyclers of ferrous residual materials of the steel industry in the world.
Founded in 1876, the first recycling company of its kind back then, the „Duisburger Kupferhütte“, extracted various raw materials such as copper, zinc, lead, cadmium and pig iron from the residues of sulfuric acid production. The transition from pyrite to elementary sulfur heralded the end of the processing contract back then and laid the foundation for a new method of processing.
At its location in Duisburg, DK has developed a worldwide unique process based on the classic sinter and blast furnace process. It is a process that factors in the closed-loop economy and waste laws and is by now known and accredited as the DK-process
Conversion of the ignition furnace to blast furnace gas improves climate protection
DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH received funding from the BMWi – the Efficiency Agency of North Rhine-Westphalia. Duisburg-based DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH converted its sinter plant and now uses the blast furnace gas for its burners - this saves natural gas and protects the environment. The company was supported by the financing advice of the Efficiency Agency NRW.
*https://www.pressebox.de/pressemitteilung/effizienz-agentur-nrw/Umruestung-des-Zuendofens-auf-Gichtgas-verbessert-Klimaschutz/boxid/954446
Image photography
By Viktor Macha in 2005.
Plant facts and figures
The plant have an annual capacity of 450000 tons.
The following processes are conducted in the plant:
- Mining
- Iron making
This plant produces the following type of products:
- Pig iron
- Coal&Iron&Minerals
Full description
Not many smelting plants as former “Küpferhütte”, today DK Recycling & Roheisen GmbH, can be found in current Europe.
Ironworks situated in harbor district Duisburg/Hochfeld were founded in 1876 and were one of the first ever using sulphuric acid production process for waste material transformation into reusable materials (pig iron, zinc, copper,…).
Former line of seven blast furnace was constructed between 1895-1913.
Along with realignment of chemical industry conception, what caused the shut-down of all non-ferrous operations, was the DK plant technologically transformed and oriented to pig iron production only.
Despite the fact that only blast furnace no.3 is active today, DK belongs to important and with its 135 years of history time-proved high quality foundry iron suppliers for automobile industry mainly.