Some Interesting Aspects of Non-ferrous Metallurgical Slags

Abstract

The main function of non-ferrous metallurgical slags is collecting oxidized iron. For this reason these slags, unlike ferrous metallurgical slags, are highly acid. The major industrial problems associated with iron-silicate slags presently employed in non-ferrous metallurgical operation are metal losses in the slag phase, magnetite precipitation, and rather high viscosity. A review of our knowledge on these aspects is surveyed in this article. The atomic scale structure determined by x-ray diffraction is also presented, in order to facilitate fuller understanding of various properties of slag melts. Various thermodynamic data of ferrite-base and soda-base slags obtained recently suggest wide applicability in various non-ferrous metallurgical processes. For this reason, an attempt has been made to review the presently available information about these relatively new type slags including their process implications. © 1988 by Freund Publishing House Ltd.