Global Slag News
Search Slag News
Use of ground granulated blast furnace slag avoided 408Mt of CO2 emissions over 22 years in EU and UK
Written by Global Slag staff
05 October 2023
EU/UK: EUROSLAG says that the use of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) in cement production in the EU and UK between 2000 and 2022 has generated a cumulative reduction in CO2 emissions of 408Mt. GGBFS replaced 716Mt-worth of raw materials over the period.
EUROSLAG Chair Thomas Reiche said "Resource conservation through secondary raw materials, especially in the construction sector, and lower emissions of climate-damaging CO2, are of outstanding ecological and economic importance. The use of ferrous slags makes an important contribution to this. EUROSLAG is working multilaterally to master the enormous challenges in the coming years, above all the transformation of the steel industry, through research and adjustments to national and European regulations.”
Volvo CE releases new slag handling bucket
Written by Global Slag staff
29 September 2023
Sweden: Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has launched a new slag handling bucket intended for use with vehicles such as wheel loaders. It has designed the slag bucket specifically for this application unlike previously, where a rock bucket was used as the base for its steel mill buckets.
The new bucket has a floor made from thick plate with a protruding design to protect the integrity of the side plate welds. Welded to this is an 80mm single piece cutting edge. The side cutters are two parts, with the lower half made from thicker steel, while at the top there is a reinforced spill guard. The bucket uses a reinforced interface to protect the connection of the bucket to the loader. It uses a lower-than-standard digging depth, which takes into account the fitment of protective tire chains. The company offers the slag buckets as part of its standard attachments but they can be customised via Volvo CE’s Customer-Built Attachments program.
Volvo CE sells a range of wheel loaders marketed for the slag handling market including the L150H, L180H, L220H, L260H and L350H models. These vehicles feature additional thermal protection, including heat resistant fuel and oil lines, fire protecting materials throughout, as well as additional guarding against slag explosions, falling objects and air blown debris. They also include bullet proof glass, a cab air filtration system that circulates 90% of cab air through the main filter and an emergency limp home function. The slag handlers form part of Volvo CE’s wider application-specific wheel loader configurations, which also include agriculture, rehandling and rock, block, log and waste handlers.
Indian Border Roads Organisation using steel slag to build roads near border with China
Written by Global Slag staff
29 September 2023
India: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been using steel slag as part of construction activity near its border with China. BRO Director General Lt General Rajeev Chaudhry made the comments as part of an inspection tour, according to the Press Trust of India. The BRO and other government agencies have increased activity near the border since 2020. Chaudhry said that around 300 BRO projects worth over US$950m had been completed in recent years. This included 295 road projects, bridges, tunnels and airfields. One notable achievement has been the construction of a vehicle-quality road at Demchok with an altitude of over 5750m, higher than the base camps for Mount Everest.
Germany generates 7Mt of slag in 2022
Written by Global Slag staff
14 September 2023
Germany: The FEhS Building Materials Institute recorded total German granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) production of 7Mt in 2022. The institute said that cumulative German GBFS production over the 70 years up to 2022 was 227Mt. It said that, if used in cement production, this would be able to replace 398Mt of limestone and eliminate 227Mt of CO2 emissions.
ArcelorMittal orders slag retention system from Primematals Technologies as part of steel plant project in Brazil
Written by Global Slag staff
07 September 2023
Brazil: ArcelorMittal has ordered a slag retention system from UK-based Primematals Technologies. This is part of a larger order for two 135t LD converters for basic oxygen furnaces (BOF) at its steel plant in Jõao Monlevade. The Vaicon Stopper slag retention system is intended to minimise the amount of slag that enters the ladle during tapping. This system ensures shorter production cycles and higher steel quality compared with conventional slag retention systems. The overall plant project also includes an upgrade of the primary dedusting systems and complete electrics and automation packages. The start-up of the new equipment is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025.
The Monlevade plant produces wire rod for industrial applications such as steel wool and steel cord. The site is part of ArcelorMittal Brazil’s Long Steel division and has an annual capacity of 1.2Mt/yr.