It looks as if it was frozen lava, but it is a by-product of metal smelting. If left piled up, it may have a strong negative impact on the environment. But when reused in a smart way, it can actually bring many benefits.
Preliminary lab-scale investigations were conducted on slagging abatement in biomass-firing by fuel mixing. Three agriculture biomass fuels and olive cake were used in the experiments. Polish lignites and bituminous coals were examined as anti-sintering additives. The effects of chlorine release, potassium retention and ash sintering were examined by heating samples of biomass fuels and additives in the muffle oven and, next, firing them in the laboratory down-fired furnace at the temperature in the range of 800-1150ºC. The obtained slag samples were analysed on: chlorine and potassium content, sintering tendency and crystalline components. Among the examined coals lignite from Turów mine and bituminous coal from Bolesław Śmiały mine appeared to be the most effective in potassium retention in aluminosilicate and chlorine release from slag. Possibly the major factor of these coals which reduced ash sintering was relatively high content of kaolinite
The paper presents the results of the mechanical, electrical, CCSEM and XRD measurements of hard coal, conducted in simulated conditions of sintering in atmospheres of O2/CO2,. The changes of the coal ash resistivity are correlated with the content of the oxides and with the sintering temperature determined by the mechanical test and Leitz method. The SEM-EDS analysis was conducted for deposits on the probe. The changes of the measured ash samples, observed during sintering process in O2/CO2 atmosphere, were discussed in the ash microstructure point of view.
Among the elements that compose steel slags and blast furnace slags, metallic precipitates occur alongside the dominant glass and crystalline phases. Their main component is metallic iron, the content of which varies from about 90% to 99% in steel slags, while in blast furnace slags the presence of precipitates was identified with the proportion of metallic iron amounting to 100%. During observations using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray spectral microanalysis it has been found that the form of occurrence of metallic precipitates is varied. There were fine drops of metal among them, surrounded by glass, larger, single precipitates in a regular, spherical shape, and metallic aggregates filling the open spaces between the crystalline phases. Tests carried out for: slags resulting from the open-hearth process, slags that are a by-product of smelting in electric arc furnaces, blast furnace slags and waste resulting from the production of ductile cast iron showed that depending on the type of slag, the proportion and form of metallic precipitates is variable and the amount of Fe in the precipitates is also varied. Research shows that in terms of quality, steel and blast furnace slag can be a potential source of iron recovery. However, further quantitative analyses are required regarding the percentage of precipitates in the composition of slags in order to determine the viability of iron recovery. This paper is the first part of a series of publications aimed at understanding the functional properties of steel and blast furnace slags in the aspect of their destructive impact on the components of devices involved in the process of their processing, which is a significant operational problem.
The tubular type instrument (flux tube) was developed to identify boundary conditions in water wall tubes of steam boilers. The meter is constructed from a short length of eccentric tube containing four thermocouples on the fire side below the inner and outer surfaces of the tube. The fifth thermocouple is located at the rear of the tube on the casing side of the water-wall tube. The boundary conditions on the outer and inner surfaces of the water flux-tube are determined based on temperature measurements at the interior locations. Four K-type sheathed thermocouples of 1 mm in diameter, are inserted into holes, which are parallel to the tube axis. The non-linear least squares problem is solved numerically using the Levenberg-Marquardt method. The heat transfer conditions in adjacent boiler tubes have no impact on the temperature distribution in the flux tubes.
Research of metallurgical slags chemical composition, originating both from current production as well as gathered in dumping grounds formany years, show that they are very diversified. Slags contain substantial amounts of metals, including heavy metals, apart from elements from groups of non-metals and lanthanoids. In the article occurrence forms and relations with phase components of selected metals (iron, manganese, zinc, lead and others) on the basis of mineralogical and chemical research on slags after steel and ore Zn-Pb production were characterized. It was stated that metals may occur in metallurgical slags as fine drops not separated from slag during a metallurgical process, may form polymetallic aggregates, their own phases (especially oxide ones) and hide in structures of silicate phases. A considerable amount of metals is dissipated in glaze and amorphous substance. The conducted research delivers information on the occurrence of metals in metallurgical slags, which is extremely important during work connected with economic exploitation of slags. It especially refers to increasing attempts of acquiring elements from metallurgical slags. These activities determine the necessity of analyzing chemical and phase composition of slags because they may be an important indication, for instance while working on a proper technology of elements recovery.
Metallurgical slag is often treated as a material which could be used in the waste management, especially for production different kinds of aggregate. So it is necessary to know that material not only considering technical properties, but also its mineral and chemical composition. Such researches could deliver many valuable information during the waste utilization. Researches were made for samples of the metallurgical slag after steel and Zn-Pb production. Samples were taken from chosen dumps localized in the Upper Silesian District. Beside metallic aggregates, silicate and oxide phases, glaze is one of the main component of the metallurgical slag. The following stages of the glaze devitrification were presented; from not transformed and isotropic glaze pieces to the strong weathered glaze. Transformed glaze is red or brown with the cracks on the surface. Cracks are often filled by the metals oxides, which can be liberated during the glaze devitrification. On the base of researches executed using the electron microprobe the chemical glaze composition was presented. The chemical composition of the glaze is variable what is connected with the kind of the metallurgical slag. The following main elements were distinguished in the metallurgical slag: Si, Al, Fe, Ca and Mg. Slag after steel production contains also Mn, P, S and the slag after Zn-Pb production contains: As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, Zn, Na, K, P and S.
Copper slag differs by chemical composition and structure, depending on the type of processing. Copper slag typically contains about 1 wt.% copper and 40 wt.% iron depending upon the initial ore quality and type of furnace used. The aim is to produce a typical foundry pig iron with the chemical composition of C > 3.40 wt.%, Si 1.40 to 1.80 wt.%, Mn 0.30 to 0.90 wt.%, P < 0.03 wt.% and S < 0.03 wt.% from copper slag. But foundry pig iron manufactured from copper slag contains a high sulphur content. Therefore, this study examines how to conduct desulphurization. Desulphurization roasting and reduction smelting with desulphurization additives used to remove sulphur from the copper slag. The results showed that desulphurization effect of desulphurization roasting is poor but when combined with reduction smelting with CaO addition is possible to manufacture low sulphur pig iron from copper smelting slag.
The physical and chemical properties of cements with slag originated from the storage yards of different age, added as a supplementary cementing material are highlighted. The materials after 20-year storage, the crushed slag after approximately 2-year storage and the new slag from the ongoing production were compared. The materials supplied by the same metallurgical plant were characterized. The blended cements were produced by Portland cement clinker grinding with gypsum and slags added as 5 to 50% of binder mass. The standard properties of cements were examined, as well as some experiments related to the kinetics of hydration and hydration products were carried out. The addition of granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) stored for a long time, as a component of cement, affects the properties of material in such a way that the early compressive strength is not specially altered but at longer maturing the strength decreases generally with the storage time and percentage of additive. This is related to the reduction of the vitreous component, as well as to the presence of weathered material of altered activity. At the additive content up to 50% the binder complying with the requirements of the European standards for CEM III/A or CEM II/(A,B)-S common cements can be produced. The cements with the old slag meet the requirements of EN 197-1 relating at least to the class 32,5. The role of calcium carbonate, being the product resulting from the slag weathering process, acting as a grindability and setting/hardening modifying agent, should be underlined.