Assessment of Environmental Properties of slags from Non-ferrous metal production

Slags are a by-product of non-ferrous metallurgical processes. The significance of pyrometallurgical slags pinpointed the essential role of their potential use as a valuable by-product. Environmental concerns related to toxic element leaching (Ba, V, Cr, As, Cr, Mo, etc.) are the primary hindrance limiting the effective reuse of such material. Consequently, it is important to establishing the leaching behaviour of the slags and related slag-containing products and, ultimately, assure the production of environmentally friendly slags that do not represent any hazard to the environment or public health. The general aim of this thesis is to identify the conditions that influence the leaching of hazardous elements and to produce leaching-resistant synthetic slags that will be potentially used as a safe by-product. For this purpose, the understanding of the leachability of major/minor/hazardous elements that dissolve from crystalline or amorphous phases is required. The idea is to identify possible correlations between leachability and the presence of different phases.