Separating and Recycling of Fe, Cu, Zn from Dumped Copper Slag by Microwave IrradiationAssisted Carbothermic Method

Abstract

Iron, copper and zinc were separated and recycled from dumped copper slag using a carbothermic method in the presence of microwave irradiation. Iron in the form of fayalite and magnetite in the slag was reduced to metal iron while zinc was evaporated and captured as zinc oxide powder. Results indicated that metallization rate of iron could reach 91.38~93.45 wt% and zinc recovery efficiency was 90.5 wt% when the new methodology was employed, and that reaction temperature was 100°C lower compared to that of traditional processes, reaction time of the new process was decreased by 90 min.