Adapted from Piatak, N.M.; Parsons, M.B. Characteristics and utilization of copper slag—a review. The article says it is a dust, but with the rock and other materials combined, it the slag powdery or it it more grainy like the consistency of sand? It is actually a byproduct of iron production. Copper slag is a disposable high-density blasting slag made from a by-product of copper production. These materials are usually fine, but when they react with water thanks to the mine opening, they can turn to liquid form and create dangerous chemicals that also run into the water system. copper slag corresponds to 30–40 % iron, 35-40% silica, less than 10 % of alumina and calcium oxide and copper content is around 1 %Cu, similar to the ore mined. @JimmyT - You are right that mining copper can have a major negative impact on the habitat around a mine, especially for the streams and waterways. It has high friction angle due to a sharp angular shape. The number of strength data tabulated in Table 4.3(b) for CS concrete having a water/cement ratio equal to the reference concrete is significantly greater than that in Table 4.3(a) for CS concrete having consistence equal to the reference concrete. It also makes concrete more fire resistant, and helps to slow the spread of heat and flames. Slag blasting is also used to remove rust, paint, and other materials from the surface of metal or stone. Is this right? Matte, crude mixture of molten sulfides formed as an intermediate product of the smelting of sulfide ores of metals, especially copper, nickel, and lead.Instead of being smelted directly to metal, copper ores are usually smelted to matte, preferably containing 40–45 percent copper along with iron and sulfur, which is then treated by converting in a Bessemer-type converter. Granulated copper slag is more porous and therefore has lower specific gravity and higher absorption capacity than air-cooled copper slag. The strength of concrete can increase with CS content, Figure 4.6(a); The strength of concrete can increase with CS content up to a varying optimum level and then decrease with increasing CS content, but the strength of CS concrete remains higher than that of normal concrete, Figure 4.6(b), or goes below the normal concrete level, Figure 4.6(c); The strength of concrete can decrease with CS content, Figure 4.6(d). Copper slag is … The information on the consistence and instability in the form of bleeding and segregation, corresponding to the strength data, as reported by the authors, has also been included in Figure 4.7. Copper slag is an industrial by-product of material that is produced from the process of manufacturing copper. Therefore, it is customary to carry out matte smelting in stages, with the slag from the first matte smelting stage discarded, and slags from subsequent stages recycled to the first stage. Contrary to its name it contains almost no copper. The obtained trendline suggests that the strength of concrete increases with increasing CS content, up to 20%, and reaches a near-plateau situation of average 13% strength increase for 20 to 50% CS, beyond which the strength begins to decrease, and from 80% CS, it falls below that of the corresponding reference concrete. Ltd :According to new reliable research on Copper Slag Market, featuring a short universal view of the size of the market, geographical scope and key trends based on volume and value, … Upon CS production, the molten slag may either be air-cooled in an ambient environment or rapidly cooled by quenching it in a granulator. 54,59 It has been estimated that for every tonne of copper produced, about 2.2 tonnes of slag is generated, 60 as a consequence of the relatively low grades of … Also, what is the price difference between the two? Overall, a polynomial regression is obtained, giving a correlation of 0.8087. Copper Slag is a good general purpose Abrasive, but in the finer sizes is exceptionally dusty. Using blasting or high-pressure spraying techniques, companies can use copper slag to clean large smelting furnaces or equipment. Overall impression of the effect of copper slag on the strength of concrete. One of the primary advantages to copper slag is the low risk it poses to health and the environment. Note ∗: The average data excluded the results of Al-Jabri et al. Cement kiln dust (CKD) is a fine-grained solid by-product generated during the cement manufacturing process and captured by the facility’s air pollution control system. Copper slag is a by-product created during the copper smelting and refining process. Mobasher, Devaguptapu, & Arino, 1996; Pavéz et al., 2004, Environmental Impact, Case Studies and Standards and Specifications, Alternative inorganic binders based on alkali-activated metallurgical slags, Sustainable and Nonconventional Construction Materials using Inorganic Bonded Fiber Composites. Are you are an abrasive blast worker or employer, inspector, engineer, industrial hygienist, plant/facility owner or government/military employee who performs work associated with the use of coal and copper slag abrasives? Also, would you be able to use the copper in a regular sand blasting machine, or would you need special equipment? We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. Contractors may also use copper slag in place of sand during concrete construction. Figure 5.12. (2009a) because of a possible compaction problem in concrete due to low slump and Sudarvizhi and Ilangovan (2011, 2012) for using copper slag in conjunction with ferrous slag. The results of the two studies showed either marginal differences in strength (Figure 5.11) or conflicting results for varying replacement levels (Figure 5.12). The copper is being produced from a copper concentrate containing around 30 - 35% of copper, iron and sulphur each along with around 12% of silica and 5% of calcium. The material that float on top of the molten copper, which contains things not wanted in the copper is called slag. While the former creates a material with more crystalline phases, the rapidly quenched slag allows producing a material with a more amorphous structure, which can then be used as a cement constituent (Walker and Pavía, 2011). In such a scenario, the overall particle packing of the test specimen may change with CS content and this can become the main contributing factor that affects the strength of the resultant concrete. Copper processing facilities are usually located near mining or extraction sites. Additionally, the test specimens that have previously been reported to have a stability issue in the fresh state (as discussed in Section 4.3.2) may suffer from poor compaction, and in such a scenario, the strength of concrete is likely to be affected by the inhomogeneity of the mix. Although it would be expected that a reduction in water content at a given cement content for equal consistence would lead to strength improvement of the concrete mix, this has not always been realised [Table 4.3(a)]. Its bulk density and angular shape give it an aggressiveness that provides clean, fast-cutting action, considerably increasing production rates. Copper slag is an abrasive blasting grit (by-product) made of granulated slag from metal smelting process and refining of copper in which sulphur dioxide is released. The specific gravity varies with iron content, from a low of 2.8 to as high as 3.8. Copper slag has also gained popularity in the building industry for use as a fill material. Air cooled, not water quenched. I didn't think it was really connected to the material that was being used. Collectively, these materials make up slag, which can be used for a surprising number of applications in the building and industrial fields. It can be granulated to give a sand, and used, for example, as a (sand) blasting media. If you do not see your copper byproduct listed please contact Cal-Chem Metals to learn more about our services and custom solutions. Because of the limited data available in the literature for this option, no clear optimum level of CS can be identified in Table 4.3(a), but on average, the use of CS as a sand component gives a 5% increase in strength for CS concrete compared to normal concrete. Copper slag is mainly used for surface blast-cleaning. What are the Different Types of Sandblasting Media. Copper slag is a by-product produced during smelting of copper, which is then processed into abrasive products. Another problem can come simply from the fact that the ground has been opened up to expose new areas. Cleaning of the primary slag is often economically justified and techniques including slow cooling and flotation, or pyrometallurgical or Specimens cured at 60°C and 90°C, containing 50 wt.% copper slag showed comparable strengths to that obtained by samples with 100 wt.% copper slag. 7.13), depending on the curing temperature. Copper slag is generated out of copper concentrate while extracting copper in the copper smelting units. However, the slag tends to be vitreous or “glassy,” which adversely affects its frictional properties (skid resistance), a potential problem if used in pavement surfaces. As refineries draw metal out of copper ore, they produce a large volume of non-metallic dust, soot, and rock. However, on the whole, the results do support the viewpoint that concrete designed with CS as sand should develop 5–10% higher strength than the corresponding natural sand concrete. Unlike many other fill materials, it poses relatively little threat to the environment. Airo Shot Blast Copper Slag is an aggressive abrasive frequently used in new steel and steel maintenance applications. Uranium, which may be co-located with copper ore, may also be recovered as a side stream, if economical. Ahmari et al.70 assessed the effect of partially replacing copper slag by copper mine tailings, on the microstructure and mechanical performance of alkali-activated cements produced with these precursors. In this process, a stream of abrasive grains called grit are propelled toward the workpiece. A slag by-product of such workings was a colorful, glassy, vitreous material found on the surfaces of slag from ancient copper foundries. To be sure ,the slag is a combination of oxides of mpurities in the copper ore that float to the top of the melt and form as a glass. Ores that contain copper in the U.S. are typically mined in large, open-pits. Copper slag is a common term applied to the by-product slags of the copper smelting indusrty. Some physical and mechanical properties of copper slag are shown in Table 10.8. Copper slag is a by-product created during the extraction of copper from copper ore. Mary McMahon Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a wiseGEEK researcher and writer. The fact that copper is a necessary for plumbing installations allows for part of its value. All metals would have some sort of waste products, but I don't know what qualities make something good for other uses. The slag serves as a fine, or binding agent, which helps hold the larger gravel particles within the concrete together. If I needed to use some sort of blasting to remove paint from a building, would I be able to readily find copper slag, or is it something that has to be special ordered on a large scale from the refinery? There are many other compounds besides copper that line the mines. Table 10.8. This process makes the slag into a granule form resulting coarser and angular particles. Data from Gorai, B., Jana, R. K., & Premchand (2003). This means it can be used to build up the earth to support roads, buildings, or other surfaces. Air-cooled copper slag has a black color and glassy appearance. Copper slag can also be used as a building material, formed into blocks. It now appears from this article, OSHA has decided to soon ask the coal and copper slag companies that same question. Before going into detail, it is worth appreciating that the reported experimental strength data on such a wide scale and over a period of time can, to an extent, vary between studies. Is one material better than the other for certain situations, or are they both about equal? This is helpful, as it supports the simple and empirical model used to explain the change in strength with increasing CS content. Sharpshot Copper Slag Why Sharpshot Copper Slag? Quality control is done through systematic control of the smelting process, and testing of composite samples at the in-house as well as independent laboratories. Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money, 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. Slag that is quenched in water produces angular granules which are disposed of as waste or utilized as discussed below. Characteristics and utilization of copper slag—a review. This possibly explains the variations in the trends observed in the strength development of concrete with increasing CS content of the sand used. Copper wire. Copper is a heavy metal that is a commodity on many markets. It was primarily blue or green and was formerly chipped away and melted down to make glassware products and jewelry. What are the slag properties? http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT-1943-5533.0001159, Copper Slag in Cement Manufacture and as Cementitious Material. Table 4.3. This material represents a popular alternative to sand as a blasting medium in industrial cleaning. I have heard of iron slag being used for things, although I'm not sure what they are. Mine wastes may contain radionuclides due to their natural presence in ores and can be a source of TENORM. In copper slag-free activated binders an optimal curing temperature of 75°C was identified, while in specimens containing 50–100 wt.% copper slag a higher curing temperature (90°C) yielded the best compressive strengths. What happens between the mining and refining process that makes the copper by-products nearly harmless? It may also contribute to pollution and other environmental concerns. Ironically, according to OSHA, beryllium is most dangerous when inhaled in small particles thus making abrasive blasting with coal or copper slag a potentially perfect delivery vehicle of beryllium-laden dust particles into a person's lungs. 7.11). I don't know whether other materials would be harmful for the environment or not, either. Coal slag is by-product of coal-burning power plants, considered a “green” abrasive because it would otherwise be disposed of as waste. It was also … Typically, refineries end up with two units of slag for every one unit of copper produced during smelting. Silica sand, which represents the most popular blasting medium and concrete fine currently in use, poses serious health risks when inhaled. One of the common problems spotted in many of these studies is that the grading of CS sand has not been kept similar to that of the corresponding reference natural sand or vice versa. Kedia slag distinguishes from light-weight blasting slag, due to its high density property. Where is it used? I have always heard of copper mining as being extremely harmful for the environment. Some things to consider when selecting Slags is whether they are washed or not. The replacement of copper slag by copper mine tailings reduced the compressive strength of the alkali-activated cements (Fig. As the copper settles down in the smelter, due to metalization of copper, it has a higher density, impurities stay in the top layer and then are transported to a … The air-cooled and granulated copper slag has a number of favorable mechanical properties for aggregate use, including excellent soundness characteristics, good abrasion resistance, and good stability. Effect of air-cooled and quenched copper slag (CS), sourced from the same batch, on the compressive strength of mortars (CS 1 and CS 2 ground to 300 and 400 m2/kg, respectively). General trends observed are summarised in Figure 4.6 and are described below: Figure 4.6. ; Seal, R.R., Characteristics and Environmental Aspects of Slag: A Review. These studies demonstrated that high compressive strength cements can be developed via alkali-activation of copper slags; however, the leachability of heavy metals from these inorganic cements remains unknown, which might limit their applicability as building materials. Copper slag abrasive is suitable for blast cleaning of steel and stone/concrete surfaces, removal of mill scale, rust, old paint, dirt etc. However, the slag will contain several percent of copper, and must be cleaned before discard. How does using copper slag blasting compare to using sand or other materials? Data from Gorai, B., Jana, R. K., & Premchand (2003). The slag pile in Anaconda is a byproduct from the town’s copper smelting history, and is part of the town’s Superfund site. It's commonly classified as hazardous waste due to this risk. A recent study evaluated the feasibility of activating ancient copper slags from the north of Chile,69 and identified notable differences in the mineralogy and chemical composition depending on the slag source. However, the few studies evaluating the influence of using ground CS with different production methods on the properties of mortar (Douglas et al., 1986) and concrete (Mohsenian and Sohrabi, 2009a) have produced inconclusive results as shown in Figures 5.11 and 5.12. Data from Oracle Mining Corp. Why We Belive in Copper’s Long-term Value. Copper smelting slag is an industrial by product obtained from the process of smelting copper, and about 1.5 million tons of smelting slag is generated annually. When specimens were cured at room temperature, this strength was achieved after 90 days of curing, although increasing the curing temperature to 65°C led to a similar strength being reached after 7 days. 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