Innovative Process for Strategic Metal Recovery from Electric Arc Furnace Slag by Alkaline Leaching

Currently, Electric Arc Furnace Slag (EAFS) is undervalued and is therefore only used in road construction, while blast furnace slag (BFS) is used as an interesting alternative in construction materials to replace natural aggregates in the manufacture of concrete. Steel slag (SS) represents a promis...

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Main Authors: Nour-Eddine Menad, Alain Seron, Sara Bensamdi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Metals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/12/1364
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author Nour-Eddine Menad
Alain Seron
Sara Bensamdi
author_facet Nour-Eddine Menad
Alain Seron
Sara Bensamdi
author_sort Nour-Eddine Menad
collection DOAJ
description Currently, Electric Arc Furnace Slag (EAFS) is undervalued and is therefore only used in road construction, while blast furnace slag (BFS) is used as an interesting alternative in construction materials to replace natural aggregates in the manufacture of concrete. Steel slag (SS) represents a promising secondary resource due to its high content of critical metals, such as chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V). These metals are essential for various strategic industries, making it crucial to consider slag as a resource rather than waste. However, the primary challenge lies in selectively recovering these valuable metals. In this work, we explore the development of a hydrometallurgical process aimed at efficiently extracting Cr and V from Electric Arc Furnace Slag (EAFS). The characterization of the investigated EAFS shows that the main crystalline phases contained in this heterogeneous material are srebrodolskite, larnite, hematite, and spinel such as probably magnesio-chromite. The targeted metals seem to be dispersed in various mineral species contained in the SS. An innovative hydrometallurgical method has been explored, involving physical preparation by co-grinding slag with alkaline reagents followed by treatment in a microwave furnace to modify the metal-bearing species to facilitate metal processing dissolution. The results obtained showed that the leaching rates of Cr and V were, respectively, 100% and 65% after 15 min of treatment in the microwave furnace, while, after 2 h of conventional heat treatment, as explored in a previous study, 98% and 63% of the Cr and V were, respectively, leached.
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spelling doaj-art-cdf716f5e0984dcdaa154da6eb0e958a2025-08-20T02:00:39ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012024-11-011412136410.3390/met14121364Innovative Process for Strategic Metal Recovery from Electric Arc Furnace Slag by Alkaline LeachingNour-Eddine Menad0Alain Seron1Sara Bensamdi2BRGM—Bureau de Géologie et Minière, 45060 Orléans, FranceBRGM—Bureau de Géologie et Minière, 45060 Orléans, FranceBRGM—Bureau de Géologie et Minière, 45060 Orléans, FranceCurrently, Electric Arc Furnace Slag (EAFS) is undervalued and is therefore only used in road construction, while blast furnace slag (BFS) is used as an interesting alternative in construction materials to replace natural aggregates in the manufacture of concrete. Steel slag (SS) represents a promising secondary resource due to its high content of critical metals, such as chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V). These metals are essential for various strategic industries, making it crucial to consider slag as a resource rather than waste. However, the primary challenge lies in selectively recovering these valuable metals. In this work, we explore the development of a hydrometallurgical process aimed at efficiently extracting Cr and V from Electric Arc Furnace Slag (EAFS). The characterization of the investigated EAFS shows that the main crystalline phases contained in this heterogeneous material are srebrodolskite, larnite, hematite, and spinel such as probably magnesio-chromite. The targeted metals seem to be dispersed in various mineral species contained in the SS. An innovative hydrometallurgical method has been explored, involving physical preparation by co-grinding slag with alkaline reagents followed by treatment in a microwave furnace to modify the metal-bearing species to facilitate metal processing dissolution. The results obtained showed that the leaching rates of Cr and V were, respectively, 100% and 65% after 15 min of treatment in the microwave furnace, while, after 2 h of conventional heat treatment, as explored in a previous study, 98% and 63% of the Cr and V were, respectively, leached.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/12/1364slagsstrategic metalsrecoverymicrowavesalkaline reagentsleaching
spellingShingle Nour-Eddine Menad
Alain Seron
Sara Bensamdi
Innovative Process for Strategic Metal Recovery from Electric Arc Furnace Slag by Alkaline Leaching
Metals
slags
strategic metals
recovery
microwaves
alkaline reagents
leaching
title Innovative Process for Strategic Metal Recovery from Electric Arc Furnace Slag by Alkaline Leaching
title_full Innovative Process for Strategic Metal Recovery from Electric Arc Furnace Slag by Alkaline Leaching
title_fullStr Innovative Process for Strategic Metal Recovery from Electric Arc Furnace Slag by Alkaline Leaching
title_full_unstemmed Innovative Process for Strategic Metal Recovery from Electric Arc Furnace Slag by Alkaline Leaching
title_short Innovative Process for Strategic Metal Recovery from Electric Arc Furnace Slag by Alkaline Leaching
title_sort innovative process for strategic metal recovery from electric arc furnace slag by alkaline leaching
topic slags
strategic metals
recovery
microwaves
alkaline reagents
leaching
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/12/1364
work_keys_str_mv AT noureddinemenad innovativeprocessforstrategicmetalrecoveryfromelectricarcfurnaceslagbyalkalineleaching
AT alainseron innovativeprocessforstrategicmetalrecoveryfromelectricarcfurnaceslagbyalkalineleaching
AT sarabensamdi innovativeprocessforstrategicmetalrecoveryfromelectricarcfurnaceslagbyalkalineleaching