Disclosed are methods and systems for processing clinker containing iron and non-ferrous metals for extraction of those metals. The processing comprises pretreatment of clinker resulting in a removable carbon-containing foam phase, forming a metal-containing cake. Melting of the cake is then performed in the absence of air delivery and in the presence of carbon, resulting in phases of slag, metal, and matte. Melting may occur while maintaining a mass ratio of iron to carbon of no greater than 14:1, such that cast iron forms instead of sponge iron. The metal and matte phases, containing non-ferrous metals and iron, are then exposed to further dissolution, filtration, and salting out to extract the non-ferrous metals and iron. Byproducts of various stages of the process are also recycled into earlier stages or further processed to extract additional copper, iron, and other non-ferrous metals.

Disclosed are methods and systems for processing clinker containing iron and non-ferrous metals for extraction of those metals. The processing comprises pretreatment of clinker resulting in a removable carbon-containing foam phase, forming a metal-containing cake. Melting of the cake is then performed in the absence of air delivery and in the presence of carbon, resulting in phases of slag, metal, and matte. Melting may occur while maintaining a mass ratio of iron to carbon of no greater than 14:1, such that cast iron forms instead of sponge iron. The metal and matte phases, containing non-ferrous metals and iron, are then exposed to further dissolution, filtration, and salting out to extract the non-ferrous metals and iron. Byproducts of various stages of the process are also recycled into earlier stages or further processed to extract additional copper, iron, and other non-ferrous metals.

A hearth for a traveling hearth furnace for the production of pig iron grade nuggets, the hearth having a synthetic graphite material in direct contact with the process charge in producing a plurality of metallic iron nodules and slag. The process charge including iron containing oxide, a predetermined amount of a reductant and flux, which are carried into and through a reducing, melting and coalescing stages on the hearth, wherein resulting metallic iron nodules and slag are in direct contact with the synthetic graphite material and do not adhere to the synthetic graphite material of the hearth. The absence adherence and ease of removal minimizes any impurities in the pig iron grade nuggets and allows the hearth to be used more than one cycle without the need for any replenishment of the contact surface.

A molten bath-based direct smelting process comprises controlling the process conditions in a direct smelting vessel so that molten slag in a molten bath of metal and slag in the vessel has a viscosity in a range of 0.5-5 poise when the slag temperature is in the range of 1400-1550 C. in the molten bath in the vessel.

A molten bath-based direct smelting process comprises controlling the process conditions in a direct smelting vessel so that molten slag in a molten bath of metal and slag in the vessel has a viscosity in a range of 0.5-5 poise when the slag temperature is in the range of 1400-1550 C. in the molten bath in the vessel.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for eluting calcium from steel slag such that more calcium can be eluted into an aqueous solution containing carbon dioxide from the steel slag. The present invention comprises carrying out, in the following order, a step of subjecting a calcium compound contained in the steel slag to hydration and a step of bringing the steel slag subjected to the hydration into contact with the aqueous solution containing carbon dioxide. Furthermore, in the present invention, the aqueous solution containing carbon dioxide is brought into contact with the steel slag while the steel slag is being pulverized or the surface of the steel slag is being ground. As a result of these methods, more calcium can be easily eluted into the aqueous solution containing carbon dioxide from the steel slag.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a potassium sulfate containing fertilizer composition from a sodium sulfate containing residue process stream of a battery manufacturing facility, battery recycling facility, or steel production plant, wherein residue process stream from a battery manufacturing facility, battery recycling facility, or steel production plant is provided; optionally water is provided; potassium chloride is provided; and a reaction mixture is provided comprising said optional water, potassium chloride and residue process stream, and is allowed to react, wherein potassium sulfate is obtained.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a potassium sulfate containing fertilizer composition from a sodium sulfate containing residue process stream of a battery manufacturing facility, battery recycling facility, or steel production plant, wherein residue process stream from a battery manufacturing facility, battery recycling facility, or steel production plant is provided; optionally water is provided; potassium chloride is provided; and a reaction mixture is provided comprising said optional water, potassium chloride and residue process stream, and is allowed to react, wherein potassium sulfate is obtained.

Some methods for making a granular material comprise crushing demetallized slag particles with one or more crushers and screening the crushed demetallized slag particles with one or more screens to separate the demetallized slag particles into two or more fractions, the granular material comprising at least one of the fractions of the demetallized slag particles. Prior to the crushing, ones of the demetallized slag particles having a size that is less than or equal to 2 inches can account for at least 90% of the demetallized slag particles. An iron-compound content of the demetallized slag particles, by weight, can be less than or equal to 10%. Crushing and screening can be performed such that ones of the demetallized slag particles of the granular material having a size that is less than or equal to 1.25 mm account for at least 90% of the demetallized slag particles of the granular material.

A molten bath-based direct smelting process comprises controlling the process conditions in a direct smelting vessel so that molten slag in a molten bath of metal and slag in the vessel has a viscosity in a range of 0.5-5 poise when the slag temperature is in a range of 1400-1550 C. in the molten bath in the vessel.