Copper Slag containing 30% Si02 & 45% Fe

[natemclain]

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

 

[arunmrao]

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

 

[natemclain]

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.

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

 

[arunmrao]

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

 

[EdStainless]

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.

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or edstainless@earthlink.net

 

[natemclain]

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

 

[EdStainless]

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