Electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) is a zinc-containing solid waste generated during steelmaking, and advanced recycling strategies are needed to facilitate the recovery of valuable zinc. This study investigated the microwave-assisted carbothermic reduction in EAFD using coke as a reductant, with a focus on temperature (900–1100 °C), holding time (0–60 min), and the C/Zn molar ratio (3–5). The results demonstrated that the zinc removal rate exhibited positive correlations with both temperature and time. Under optimized conditions (1100 °C, 60 min), a zinc removal rate of 95.45% was achieved, accompanied by a complete decomposition of the ZnO phases. Furthermore, increasing the C/Zn molar ratio enhanced the zinc recovery efficiency and product purity. Isothermal kinetic analyses indicated that the reaction proceeds in two stages: during the initial stage (0–30 min), the process was governed by three-dimensional diffusion control with an activation energy of 146.50 kJ/mol, while the final stage (30–60 min) transitioned to chemical reaction control with an activation energy of 267.32 kJ/mol. Comparative assessments indicated that microwave processing significantly reduced the activation energy compared to conventional heating methods. These findings suggest that microwave-assisted reduction is capable of attaining a high-grade recovery of Zn from EAFD, thus opening up new avenues for the resource-oriented utilization of EAFD.

Electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) is a hazardous by-product of steel production. As global steel output increases, substantial amounts of EAFD are produced, which causes significant environmental issues. EAFD contains amounts of Fe and Zn, which could be reused as raw materials in the steelmaking process. However, zinc oxides can be reduced and vaporized during this process, forming zinc vapor that contaminates equipment surfaces and causes damage. Consequently, various pyrometallurgical methods have been proposed for zinc removal from EAFD. Due to the extensive usage of carbonaceous materials, these methods contribute to significant CO2, raising concerns about greenhouse gas emissions. Microwave heating offers an efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly alternative to pyrometallurgical approaches. EAFD can generate heat under microwave irradiation without carbon addition, which means the CO2 emissions can be reduced by replacing the reductant in the microwave heating process. Furthermore, microwaves enhance zinc removal reactions to a certain extent, resulting in higher efficiency. Thus, employing microwave heating for EAFD processing has significant potential for future development. This paper reviews recent research on using microwave heating for zinc removal from EAFD, focusing on the heating behavior of EAFD in microwaves and the mechanisms of zinc removal. This review will be crucial for researchers working on processing EAFD using microwave heating and could help guide the development of more sustainable and efficient methods.