The zinc-containing dust generated in the production process of iron and steel enterprises has such characteristics as large output,fine particle size,complex chemical properties,etc.,and most of them are generally toxic. If this dust is not disposed of properly, it will not only threaten human health, but also cause serious environmental pollution. However,zinc-containing dust is rich in valuable elements such as iron,carbon,and zinc,and has great potential for recycling,making it an extremely valuable secondary resource. The formation mechanism and physical & chemical properties of zinc-containing dust in iron and steel enterprises are systematically summarized, the principles and characteristics of carbon carbothermal reduction process,wet process and microwave process are elaborated in detail,and the research progress and application status of each process are sorted out and analyzed. Research indicates that zinccontaining dust mainly includes blast furnace dust,converter dust,and electric furnace dust,and its physicochemical properties are relatively complex. Among them,zinc in blast furnace dust mainly exists in the form of zinc oxide,while zinc in converter dust and electric furnace dust mainly exists in the form of zinc ferrite. Microwave process treatment of zinccontaining dust has such advantages as uniform heating,cleanliness and high efficiency. It can provide an environmentally friendly and sustainable technical path for iron and steel enterprises to dispose of metallurgical solid waste. In the future,we should focus on the heating behavior and dielectric properties of zinc-containing dust,and further explore the influence of different additives,pellet sizes and shapes,pellet-making methods and other factors on the structural changes of zinc-containing dust under microwave conditions,so as to promote the development and application of microwave technology.