S.A. de Investigaciones Metalúrgicas (SADIM)

SADIM, S.A. de Investigaciones Metalúrgicas, is a company from Asturias (north of Spain) founded in 1986 dedicated to the treatment and agglomeration of flue dust and sludges generated from the steel production, in order to recycle them into the steel process. Currently SADIM has a pelletizing plant at the Aceralia factory (Arcelor Group) in Gijón-Asturias (Spain). This plant manages steel mill wastes by balling them and where twenty people work.

SADIM began its activity following the directives of the last Company Nacional Siderúrgica (ENSIDESA) which had on waste treatment to avoid landfilling of them.

From this relationship, SADIM ran a plant for the agglomeration of BOF sludges (In Aviles-Asturias) in order to use them as a coolant in the oxygen steelmaking process. These sludges were compacted in almond shape briquettes and used as scrap substitute after decarburation of steel.

Afterwards SADIM began the construction of a plant (in Gijón-Asturias) with the aim of manage most of the solid wastes generated in the off-gases treatment (BF sludges, desulfurization flue dusts, etc.) and other wastes (scale sludges, etc.) generated during the manufacture of steel products. The agglomeration in this case is made by balling into pellets and recycling them through the SINTER plant as mineral charge.

Nowadays SADIM is authorized as a siderurgical waste manager by the local government and is working in other residues in order to develop new processes that allow reuse those wastes with high metallic values. In this way SADIM is in contact with Spanish public institutions, as the University of Oviedo, international scientists and international companies as well, with the aim of solving those problems that arise when recycling siderurgical wastes.

SADIM was born as a company of R+D with the main objective of minimising the landfilling of siderurgical wastes by reusing them.

SADIM has a large experience in the agglomeration of sludges and dusts, and has a deep knowledge of the problems that could appear recycling them.