Global Slag News

Austria: Neuson Hydrotec is promoting its MRP40300 type mobile screener and crusher. The tracked product was developed to screen waste slag-containing material on site using magnetic separators and then crush it for reuse. The unit consists of: a vibrating feed and dosing unit, for converting discontinuous feed into continuous feeding of the bulk material into the plant; a vibration sieve for separation into up to four fractions; up to three magnetic separators for separating bulk materials; and discharge belts for the continuous discharge of the individual fractions.

“With the MRP, we were able to create the missing link between breaking steel slag and the finished, sorted end product. It was important to us not only to crush the steel-containing slag with our patented jaw crusher, but also to be able to subsequently separate the iron-containing material and slag into different fractions. Our customers can now look after several company locations with our mobile machines. The construction of stationary systems at each location is no longer absolutely necessary,” said Markus Zweimüller, head of the business machines division at Neuson Hydrotec.

Linz-based Neuson Hydrotec is a manufacturer of hydraulic and drive technology products for mobile and stationary applications.

South Korea: Continental New Materials has awarded a granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) supply contract to steel producer POSCO. Continental New Materials applies technology developed at the Ulsan National Institute of Science Technology (UNIST) to produce clinker-free cement.

POSCO's hot rolled and wire rod marketing manager Kim Dae-Up said "We will continue to provide support so that POSCO's steel by-products can become eco-friendly cement materials and contribute further to carbon reduction."

US: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the US sold 17Mt of ferrous slags in 2021, a rise of 31% year-on-year from the estimate in 2020. Blast furnace slag represented about 49% of the volume sold and accounted for 87% of the total value ofslag, most of which was granulated. Steel slag produced from oxygen and electric arc furnaces accounted forthe remainder of sales. Slag was processed by 28 companies servicing active iron and steel facilities or reprocessing old slag piles at about 124 processing plants, including some iron and steel plants with more than one slag-processing facility, in 33 States, including facilities that import and grind unground slag to sell as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS).

A further 2.2Mt was imported, a slight decline from 2020. From 2017 to 2020 the USGS reports that 42% of imported slag came from Japan, 18% from Brazil, 11% from China and 10% from Italy.

The USGS noted that during 2021, domestic GGBFS remained in limited supply because granulation cooling was known to be available at only two active US blast furnaces while, elsewhere, only one domestic plant produced pelletised slag in limited supply. Grinding of granulated blast furnace slag was only performed domestically by cement companies. However, following Covid-19 related decrease in availability in 2020, supply of steel slag increased in 2021.

Oman: Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel (JSIS) has renewed its contract with US-based Harsco Corporation. Harsco Environmental will continue to provide slag management and metal recovery as well as skull processing services for JSIS for a five year period. JSIS has a steel production capacity of 2.4Mt/yr and it sells its products in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, Canada, Australia and parts of Europe.

“Using Harsco Environmental’s services to manage our slag benefits us in many ways,” said Sanjay Anand, chief operating officer and head of JSIS in Oman. “We are able to reduce our carbon footprint while increasing our production. Thanks to Harsco Environmental’s operational know-how, safety record and continuous support, JSIS can trust that each service provided is being done with the highest level of care.”

UK: Ecocem and construction company Taylor Woodrow have conducted the first pour of the Exegy ultra-low CO₂ concrete at waste management site in London. The mix used on the project is reported to reduce the carbon footprint by up to 70% when compared to traditional concrete. Cemex also collaborated on the project by producing the concrete used for the pour.

The concrete product was developed by Ecocem and Vinci Construction, using Ecocem Ultra, as part of Vinci Construction’s ultra-low carbon concrete range. Ireland-based Ecocem is a producer of cement and additives made using ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). Exegy is already being used at a pilot site of the Grand Paris Express and in the construction of the Athletes’ Village in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Micheál McKittrick, managing director, Northern Europe, Ecocem, said, “Our Ecocem Ultra technology is already being used at scale in France, and we’re excited to now see it being adopted in the UK.” He added, “The cement and construction industries are developing and deploying a range of emission reduction technologies to help the UK Government reduce emissions by 78% by 2035, and reach net zero by 2050, and Ecocem will add a further dimension to these efforts.”