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Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

(OP)
Is there anyway to get rid of silica in a refinement process like using a blast furnace to make pig iron?
I have read everything I can find on making pig iron but I haven't run across anything that contains 30% silica. Most of the pig iron specs I have found contain 3% silica.
I'm curious if anyone has any information on how I could get the silica reduced to a managable level to produce pig iron.
Does anyone have any expertise in this area?

Nate

RE: Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

Are you referring to silicon content or silica(SiO2). Pig irons contain nominally 3% Si.

In the copper slag that you have referred,SiO2 is 30% and it is very difficult to reduce SiO2 content and enrich your iron content.

SiO2 is a strong oxide and separating Si and O2 by reduction methods will be expensive and energy consuming.  

I hope I have understood your needs and properly.

" All that is necessary for triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".
Edmund Burke

RE: Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

(OP)
You are right about the silica. I mistyped when I was referring to 3% silica content in pig iron, I meant silicon content. My mistake on the ol keyboard. smile

Here is what I have from the lab. Can you provide any other help on this? I'm really just trying to see if I can even do anything with this pile of junk. Perhaps it can be recycled in the steel making process?

Ag          SILVER          < 0.10     OZ/TN LAB
Au          GOLD            < 0.004    OZ/TN LAB
Cu          COPPER          1.1        %     LAB
SiO2        SILICA          29.3%      %     LAB
Al203       ALUMINA         3.0        %     LAB
Fe          IRON            45.1       %     LAB
CaO         LIME            1.3        %     LAB
S           SULFUR          0.7        %     LAB
As          ARSENIC         0.019      %     LAB
Ba          BARIUM          0.064      %     LAB
Be          BERYLLIUM       < 0.001    %     LAB
Bi          BISMUTH         0.042      %     LAB
Cd          CADMIUM         0.004      %     LAB
Cl          CHLORIDE        0.007      %     LAB
Co          COBALT          0.017      %     LAB
Cr          CHROMIUM        0.045      %     LAB
F           FLOURIDE        0.109      %     LAB
Hg          MERCURY         < 0.1      %     LAB
K           POTASSIUM       0.746      %     LAB
MgO         MAGNESIA        1.354      %     LAB
Mn          MANGANESE       0.027      %     LAB
Mo          MOLYBDENUM      0.253      %     LAB
Na          SODIUM          0.231      %     LAB
Ni          NICKEL          0.005      %     LAB
P           PHOSPHORUS      0.029      %     LAB
Pb          LEAD            0.060      %     LAB
Sb          ANTIMONY        0.037      %     LAB
Se          SELENIUM        < 0.001    %     LAB
Sn          TIN             0.018      %     LAB
Te          TELLURIUM       < 0.001    %     LAB
Tl          THALLIUM        < 0.001    %     LAB
Zn          ZINC            0.340      %     LAB

What is the process that would be used to seperate the Si & O2 even if someone wants to try it? Would the silica flow off the iron in a blast furnace as slag and be at a managable level so that it would work for pig iron in the production of gray iron? Or steel making?

TIA!

Nate

RE: Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

As per the Ellingham diagram reduction of SiO2 is possible above 1500C. This might not be an economical way to reduce SiO2 .

Other than SiO2 your slag does not have any other element in significant amounts to be of commercial interest.

" All that is necessary for triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".
Edmund Burke

RE: Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

Can this stuff be crushed and then separated by flotation or frothing?
Yes, when you melt it the SiO2 will float, but it is hell on refractories and you have a lot.
The Cu is high also.
If this were higher value metals I might suggest acid digestion, but not for Fe.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Still trying to help you stop corrosion.
formerly Trent Tube, now Plymouth Tube
eblessman@plymouth.com
or edstainless@earthlink.net

RE: Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

(OP)
The material is small form 2" diameter & less. It could be crushed and separated I would think.
The strange thing is this material is a by product of copper refinement. And that is why I called is copper slag. That is what I was told it was. And the residual 1.1% copper is what they couldn't extract in the refinement process. But the biggest majority is iron. And that is why I was thinking it could be converted into pig iron.
I wonder if the material could be crushed and using a mag separator to pick up the iron and leave the silica, etc behind.
Any ideas?

Nate

RE: Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

Try posting in the extraction and production forum.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Still trying to help you stop corrosion.
formerly Trent Tube, now Plymouth Tube
eblessman@plymouth.com
or edstainless@earthlink.net

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