Metallurgical Slags

Abstract

Slags are by-products generated by the pyrometallurgical processing of both ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores and secondary resources (recycling).They are formed during smelting from the reaction of gangue minerals in the furnace feed and fluxes and, possibly, reductants intentionally added during the smelting process.Fluxes combine with the impurities to form a slag melt that is immiscible with the metal and/or alloy phase targeted for recovery.Slags can be crystalline or glass-like depending on their composition and cooling rates and are usually silica-rich.Several major categories of slags exist, including: ferrous slags generated from the manufacture of iron (Fe) and steel products; ferroalloy slags formed from the production of bulk ferroalloys (e.g., FeCr, FeMn, FeNi, and FeSi); and base metal slags formed from the recovery of metals such as Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, commonly from sulfidic ores.Other less commonly reported slags, some that belong in the

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