Sustainable and Comprehensive Utilization of Copper Slag: A Review and Critical Analysis

摘要

Large amounts of copper slag are produced every year and major fractions of it are currently disposed, not withstanding the multiple ways the material can be used. Application of the slag is often limited by the presence of hazardous elements and their leaching behavior so they can potentially pollute soil, surface water and underground water. To remove such elements slag treatment is necessary. However, to implement such treatment industrially it also needs to fulfill requirements for economics and environmental friendliness. Thus, implementing technologies of slag treatment is a complex and challenging task. Within this paper, application options, the environmental behavior, and ways to treat copper slag in order to remove hazardous and recover valuable metals are critically reviewed. As a result, potential slag treatment routes including their benefits and drawbacks are proposed. Considering the recent progress in developing for utilization options of copper slag as well as in the development of metal recovery and removal from slag there is potential for application of increasing slag amounts. [GRAPHICS] .