The electric furnace at Ventanas Division is fed with slag from the Teniente Converter containing white metal in order to reduce the oxidized Fe and fluidize the slag, allowing the trapped white metal to settle. However, part of this white metal does not settle and comes out in the final slag that goes to the landfill. Currently there is a slag stockpile of 600 kton, with an average grade of 0.9% Cu, mainly as sulfide. The slag generation rate is approximately 760 tons/day.

Objective and scope

Identify suppliers that have a technology or metallurgical process that allows processing electric furnace slag and recovering its valuable elements.

Solution requirements

The proposed technological solution should consider the following requirements:

• Maturity level TRL ≥ 7. Process must be validated at industrial test level.
• Process must have environmental permits.
• Priority will be given to suppliers with flexible business models (e.g., outsourcing, purchase, among others).
• It is desirable that the value proposition considers processing outside the Division’s facilities.

Excluded solutions

The following will not be considered in the background evaluation process:

• Advisory services, consulting or engineering studies.

Challenge

Reduce the slag stock through a metallurgical process by recovering the copper content and/or other elements of value.

Consequences

• Reduction of slag storage capacity.
• Environmental risks.
• Operational interferences.

Problem occurrence

Permanently.

Current solution

Slag accumulates in the available stock without being processed.

Attempted technologies

No technological tests have been performed to date.