<p>Zinc is a major contaminant in the blast furnace (BF) due to its adverse effects on process stability and efficiency. BF dust, collected from off-gas, is the main carrier of Zn-bearing particles. Although this dust contains valuable carbon and iron, its reuse in sinter or pellet plants reintroduces Zn into the BF, often exceeding the threshold limit (0.15–0.5&#xa0;kg/thm). This study focuses on selectively removing Zn-bearing particles from BF dust to enable its safe reuse. The AAS (Atomic absorption spectroscopy) and SEM–EDS (Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy) analysis revealed ~ 3.2% Zn, mainly present as sphalerite (ZnS) and zinc ferrite (ZnFe₂O₄), along with hematite, unburnt carbon, and minor gangue phases. Size-by-size Zn analysis showed ~ 60% of Zn-bearing particles were finer than 30&#xa0;μm, suggesting hydrocyclone classification as an effective separation approach. A pilot-scale study was performed using a 5″ hydrocyclone to evaluate the influence of spigot size and feed inlet pressure on separation behavior. Partition probability curves were drawn to assess cut size variation under different conditions. The maximum cut size of 30.1&#xa0;μm was obtained at the lowest pressure and spigot size, while the minimum cut size of 12.3&#xa0;μm was achieved at the highest pressure and spigot size. Results confirmed that both parameters strongly affect particle flow behavior and separation efficiency. Optimization indicated that a 10&#xa0;mm spigot size and 1.5&#xa0;bar pressure achieved ~ 78% Zn removal in the overflow, with 67.4 wt.% recovery in the underflow at ~ 1% Zn, making it suitable for reuse in sinter or pellet plants.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>