Global Slag News

North America: A survey by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) has revealed that its members used over 0.3Mt of recycled blast furnace slag in the production of thermal and acoustical insulation in 2017. The survey included data from both US and Canadian production plants.

Producers also used over 0.9Mt of recycled glass to produce residential, commercial and industrial thermal and acoustical insulation. Since the industry’s recycling program began in 1992, NAIMA estimates that its members’ plants have diverted an estimated 26Mt of recycled materials from the waste stream.

“Our industry is tremendously proud of the substantial use of recycled content in the production of energy saving insulation products,” said Curt Rich, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of NAIMA. “These products ultimately reduce building energy use and decrease our carbon footprint. Over the long term, the fibre glass and mineral wool insulation industry expects to continue using substantial amounts of recycled content in the production of insulation products.”

France: Eiffage, via its Eiffage Route subsidiary, and Phoenix Services have secured a new contract with ArcelorMittal, through SGA, their joint subsidiary for the removal and processing of by-products from the Dunkirk steelworks, the recovery of metal parts and the recycling of slag. This contract, worth an estimated Euro155m over 10 years, will come into effect on 1 December 2018.

The services to be provided entail collecting approximately 1Mt/yr of liquid slag, removing its iron content by a process already agreed in an earlier contract signed in 2004 and recycling it for embankments, agricultural uses and the manufacture of hydraulic binder marketed by Eiffage under the Sidmix brand. At least 75 personnel will be mobilised on a 24 hour per day basis to guarantee the removal of the slag from the steelmaking facility.

Italy: Cemitaly has been allowed to use slag and ash in cement production at its Taranto plant following an investigation, according to the Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper. The former Cementir unit was investigated in 2017 as part of an illegal waste probe that examined whether the Taranto plant purchased ‘illegal’ by-products from Enel and the ILVA steel plant to produce cement.

Slovenia: SIJ Acroni, part of SIJ Group, has acquired the operations and equipment for processing slag from Harsco Minerali for an undisclosed sum. Previously the company used Harsco Minerali for the service, according to the Slovenian Press Agency. SIJ Acroni has taken over both Harsco's activity and equipment, and invited all Harsco employees to join the company.

Harsco Minerali processed 0.2Mt of slag for SIJ in 2017. The company mainly processed old slag deposits but new slag is created on an on-going basis during steel production. The processing products are used as inputs for asphalt and other engineering materials including insulation, and some products can be recycled for steel production. Harsco Minerali reported sales of Euro12m in 2016 and a net loss of Euro0.22m.

"By taking over the equipment and operations of Harsco Minerali we shall process what was once waste material into a by-product that we shall use in the subsequent production process or sell as an input material for construction, road construction, and environment remediation," said SIJ Acroni managing director Branko Žerdoner.

Belgium: Data from the World Steel Association shows that world crude steel production rose by 4.6% year-on-year to 882Mt in first half of 2018. The association gathers data from 64 countries. Growth was driven by increases in Asia, where crude steel production rose by 5.2% to 614Mt. Production rose by 1.6% to 87.3Mt in the European Union, by 2.4% to 59Mt in the US and by 2.8% to 50.5Mt in the Commonwealth of Independent States.