Circular slag management: From waste to environmentally friendly resource within the slag handling of the ferrochrome industry
The aim of the project is to increase resource efficiency in the ferrochrome industry by enabling a circular and environmentally friendly utilisation of ferrochrome slag. In Sweden, 200,000 tonnes of ferrochrome slag are generated annually and the project aims to investigate the requirements for the ferrochrome process so that the slag can replace primary raw materials for the cement industry. This cross-industry application has an annual potential to reduce the mining of 214,200 tonnes of limestone and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 157,000 tonnes. At present, the slag is classified as waste due to issues related to its chromium content. The project will address the chromium issue through theoretical calculations, laboratory-scale experiments and pilot-scale verification trials in an industrial environment. The approach is a holistic one, starting from the ferrochrome process and extending to the final chemical environment where the slag will be utilised. An environmentally friendly slag product from a chromium point of view is the key to circular use.
