Copper slag reclamation and recycling method

摘要

A formulation (process) and production of a hard, tough material of ferro matasilicate lattice crystals and dispersed crystals of lead, ferro, copper, zinc, and antimony spinels in glassy matrix. Variation of the degree of crystallinity and the ratio of crystals control the properties of the resultant product. These are controlled though formulation, processing conditions and residence times and through control of the heat history from tap out of the kiln to the final bagged product. Production of the product utilizes copper slag which is waste from the production and refining of copper. The component materials include: calcium, copper, arsenic, antimony, zinc, lead, and iron at very consistent levels of various oxide forms. The resultant process converts hazardous waste, such as copper slag (KO61), to a non-hazardous (TCLO criteria) product that contains no free silica. Product performance can be tailored to meet the needs of the loose grain abrasive market as speed and profile test have demonstrated. Embodiments include a glass-ceramic abrasive composition with about 40-60 weight percent copper slag, about 10-20 weight percent of soda lime glass, and about 0-20 weight percent silica sand and about 1020 weightpercent of alumina are mixed to yield an enteric melt at a temperature of about 2300-2800° F. for 3 to 5 hours. Then the melt continues at about one inch/minute at 2400-2900° F. in preparation for further annealing or heat treating to control crystalline growth. The composition has a Vickers hardness of at least about 5.5 gigaPascals, and a density of about 35-40 weight percent of an iron oxide. When the composition is tested in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, it produces a leachate which contains no detectable parts per million of detectable lead, less then 0.3 parts per million of detectable antimony, less then 0.1 parts per million detectable cadmium, less than 0.005 parts per million of detectable arsenic, and less then 0.01 parts per million of detectable nickel.