Economic and environmentally beneficial treatment of slags in DC arc furnaces

A common feature shared by all pyrometallurgical smelting processes is the production of slag. Slag is usually a byproduct of metal production, although there are processes (such as ilmenite smelting, for example) where the slag is the principal product. Most slags contain a significant amount of heavy metals, the release of which can cause environmental problems. However, the recovery of these metals may make it economic to clean the slags to the point where they are not only safe for disposal, but where they may be able to be used as products in their own right. This is sometimes a viable alternative to the conventional method of slag disposal by dumping, which occupies land unproductively, sometimes causes water pollution, and can be seen as a waste of resources.