Slag reclamation in the 21st century

A plan of action is proposed to develop uses of non-ferrous slag and production of certain industrial materials from this waste material. A review of chemistry of non-ferrous slags suggested that it can be reprocessed to impart "cementitious" properties and furthermore an advantage could be taken of their latent "pozzolonaic" properties to test several potential applications such as - clinker ingredient, asphalt concrete additive, cemented mine backfill and binder for base stabilization. The authors note that in the last century blast furnace slag was considered as a "waste" product whose stocks grew at an alarming rate due to decades of accumulation and iron producers had to develop uses of this material to avoid a potentially catastrophic environmental situation. Non-ferrous slag producers could emulate this example set by the iron producers who successfully converted a "waste" into a "byproduct". Environmental concerns of the new millennium demand that the industry should find ways and means of depleting the ever-growing stockpiles of non-ferrous slag. The authors conclude that serious considerations from environmental and economic fronts favor reclamation of old slag dumps as well as processing of new non-ferrous slag as a viable alternative to the existing dumping practice.Applied Science, Faculty ofMining Engineering, Keevil Institute ofUnreviewedOthe