Copper Slag

Copper slag, which is generated while pyrometallurgical production of copper from copper ores contains materials like iron, alumina, calcium oxide, silica, etc. For every tonne of metal production about 2.2 tons of slag is generated. Dumping or disposal of such huge amounts of slag causes environmental and space problems. During the prior two decades, attempts have been made by several investigators and copper-producing units all over the world to explore the possible utilization of copper slag. The friendly physicomechanical characteristics of copper slag can be utilized to make the products like cement, fill, ballast, abrasive, aggregate, roofing granules, glass, tiles, etc. apart from recovering the valuable metals by various extractive metallurgical directions.

What is copper slag?

Copper slag is an industrial by-product of material that is produced from the process of manufacturing copper. As the copper settles down in the smelter, due to the metalization of copper, it has a higher density, impurities stay in the top layer and then are transported to a water basin at low temperature for solidification. The end products are a solid & hard material that goes to the crusher for further processing. The color of copper slag was black and the copper slag in irregular form and specific gravity.

Chemical Properties of copper slag :

Copper slag is an excellent by-product or waste material that retains its original properties. Due to its chemical & physical composition which includes high iron, silica, and aluminum oxide content, it can be used as a partial replacement for sand in concrete mixes.

Although the majority of the produced copper slag is used in the sand blasting machine industry and in the manufacturing of abrasives tools, the remainder is disposed of without any further reuse or reclamation. There are many mechanical and chemical characteristics that qualify copper slag to be used in the concrete as a partial replacement of Portland cement or a substitute for aggregates

Copper slag has a number of favorable mechanical properties to be used as an aggregate such as excellent soundness characteristics, good abrasives resistance, and good stability. Also, copper slag exhibits pozzolanic properties since it contains a low content of CaO, and it can possess cementitious properties as CaO content increases or under the activation of NaOH. The use of copper slag in the concrete industry as a replacement of cement & fine aggregates can have the benefit of reducing the costs of disposal and minimizing environmental pollution.

Physical Composition of copper slag: