A system and method for handling slag in a slag pit includes an equilibrium or balance crane equipped with a quick connect coupling. A drop-ball fixture and drop-ball reduces the size of the slag, as needed, then the boom assembly of the crane releases the drop-ball fixture and engages an excavating tool, such as a clamshell bucket, a bucket, or a grapple. An elevated control station provides an operator with improved line-of-sight visibility.

A system and method for handling slag in a slag pit includes an equilibrium or balance crane equipped with a quick connect coupling. A drop-ball fixture and drop-ball reduces the size of the slag, as needed, then the boom assembly of the crane releases the drop-ball fixture and engages an excavating tool, such as a clamshell bucket, a bucket, or a grapple. An elevated control station provides an operator with improved line-of-sight visibility.

The present invention provides a separation method of a rare earth element and iron including: forming alkali silicate slag incorporating a rare earth element, by melting a rare earth-iron-containing material together with an alkali silicate flux in a metallic silicon melt or an iron-silicon alloy melt; and separating rare earth-containing slag from an iron-silicon alloy, in which volatilization of alkaline components contained in the flux is suppressed by performing heating and melting under an oxidizing atmosphere, and the rare earth-containing slag having a SiO.sub.2/Na.sub.2O molar ratio of 2.1 or less is formed.

The present invention provides a separation method of a rare earth element and iron including: forming alkali silicate slag incorporating a rare earth element, by melting a rare earth-iron-containing material together with an alkali silicate flux in a metallic silicon melt or an iron-silicon alloy melt; and separating rare earth-containing slag from an iron-silicon alloy, in which volatilization of alkaline components contained in the flux is suppressed by performing heating and melting under an oxidizing atmosphere, and the rare earth-containing slag having a SiO.sub.2/Na.sub.2O molar ratio of 2.1 or less is formed.

The invention provides an inexpensive and scalable means to isolate commercially valuable metals from low quality raw materials with minimal capital expenditures. Metals are extracted from sized raw material using a lixiviant, such as an amine-based lixiviant, in a pond extractor. The liquid fraction containing solvated metal is separated from the extracted raw materials and exposed to an inexpensive and readily available source of carbon dioxide, such as unmodified atmospheric air and/or a flue gas. This precipitates the metal as a carbonate salt and regenerates the lixiviant, which is returned to the extraction step of the process following separation from the metal carbonates. Metal carbonates can be dried by simply arranging in exposed heaps, and in some embodiments further processed by kiln drying. Such methods can also be used to capture and sequester greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The present invention discloses a method for preparing iron ore concentrates by recycling copper smelting slag tailings, and belongs to the technical field of metallurgy and tailings recycling. In the present invention, copper slag tailings obtained after copper pyrometallurgy and flotation and water are used as raw materials, and low-concentration sulfur dioxide flue gas is used as a leaching agent for leaching of metals such as iron, zinc, copper, arsenic, and silicon in the slag tailings; the leachate is purified step by step through processes such as replacement by metal iron powder and sulfide precipitation control, to separate zinc, copper, arsenic, etc.; a purified solution is mainly composed of FeSO.sub.4 or can be used for producing a ferric salt flocculant; obtained tailings are used to obtain iron ore concentrates through magnetic separation, and the obtained iron ore concentrates can be used for further producing ultra-pure iron ore concentrates.

The present invention discloses a method for preparing iron ore concentrates by recycling copper smelting slag tailings, and belongs to the technical field of metallurgy and tailings recycling. In the present invention, copper slag tailings obtained after copper pyrometallurgy and flotation and water are used as raw materials, and low-concentration sulfur dioxide flue gas is used as a leaching agent for leaching of metals such as iron, zinc, copper, arsenic, and silicon in the slag tailings; the leachate is purified step by step through processes such as replacement by metal iron powder and sulfide precipitation control, to separate zinc, copper, arsenic, etc.; a purified solution is mainly composed of FeSO.sub.4 or can be used for producing a ferric salt flocculant; obtained tailings are used to obtain iron ore concentrates through magnetic separation, and the obtained iron ore concentrates can be used for further producing ultra-pure iron ore concentrates.

In a method of processing molten material, in the form of non-metallic melt such as slag, into amorphous material, in which the molten material is vitrified by cooling, wherein the molten material for being vitrified is brought into contact with a metal bath and then discharged as amorphous material from the metal bath, the molten material is introduced into the metal bath via an open end of a dip tube immersing into the metal bath and is in the metal bath conveyed away from the area of the open end of the dip tube, preferably by means of a mechanical disintegrator, preferably a rotor.

In a method of processing molten material, in the form of non-metallic melt such as slag, into amorphous material, in which the molten material is vitrified by cooling, wherein the molten material for being vitrified is brought into contact with a metal bath and then discharged as amorphous material from the metal bath, the molten material is introduced into the metal bath via an open end of a dip tube immersing into the metal bath and is in the metal bath conveyed away from the area of the open end of the dip tube, preferably by means of a mechanical disintegrator, preferably a rotor.

The invention relates to a method for the granulation of a metallurgical slag, wherein liquid slag (1) is atomized by blowing air (2) onto it and the slag particles (3) granulated in this way are collected. In order to ensure a high quality of the granulate and operate in the most energy-efficient manner possible, the invention provides that the atomization is done by blowing heated air jet (2) free from the addition of water onto the liquid slag (1) and the slag is supplied to a working chamber (4), wherein the granulated slag particles (3) are collected in the floor region of the working chamber (4), wherein the air (5) escaping from the working chamber (4) is either supplied to a heat exchanger (6), which preheats the air jet blown onto the liquid slag (1), or directly recirculated in order to atomize the liquid slag (1).