Metallurgical Slag

By:
Bening NH Kambuna, ST., MT.
Semester Antara 2022/2023

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 Outline

• What is Slag
• Slag made from
• Classified of Slag
• Structure of Slag
• Properties of Slag
1. Basicity of slag
2. Optical Basicity
• Slag balance
• Viscosity of slag
• Phase Diagram of Slag System
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 What is Slag?

Slag is waste matter separated from metals during

the smelting or refining of ore.

(Oxford Dictionary)

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 Slag Made from

They are formed when a flux material, added to or

included in the charge, reacts with impurities minerals
during extraction or smelting, or with the products of
the oxidation of impurities solute elements during
refining.

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Quality of Slag
Key parameters used to assess the quality of slag:
1.Chemical Composition
2.Melting Point
3.Viscosity
4.Stability
5.Impurity Removal
6.Environmental Impact

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 Classified of Slag

In slag systems,
1. Basic Slag
A basic oxide generates O2- anion
Example Basic oxides: CaO, MgO, FeO etc
Example Acid Oxides: SiO2, P205 , Al2O3, CaF2 etc
2. Acid Slag
An acid oxide forms a complex anion by accepting one or
more O2- anions

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Structure of Slag

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Properties of Slag

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 Basicity of Slag

• Basicity index
Basicity index is generally defined as the ratio of the total weight
percent of the basic oxides to the total weight percent of the acid
oxides.

If this ratio exceeds 1, the slag is basic;

if it is less than 1, it is acidic
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Function of basicity slag
• Corrosion Resistance
Slag with higher basicity, containing a higher proportion of basic oxides (e.g., CaO), can
offer better corrosion resistance to refractory materials, particularly in acidic environments.
• Slag Penetration
Slag with lower basicity, containing a higher proportion of acidic oxides (e.g., SiO2), can
have a more corrosive and penetrating nature towards refractory materials.
• Protective Layer Formation
Slag with an appropriate basicity can form a protective layer on the surface of refractory
materials.
• Thermal Insulation
The basicity of slag can impact its thermal properties, such as thermal conductivity.

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Optical basicity

Using experimentally determined spectrographic

information on a large number of glasses and
Pauling's electronegativity data.
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Slag balances

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Slag balances

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Slag balances

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Slag balances

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 Viscosity of Slag

A is a constant and
Eη is the activation energy
Arrhenius Equation for viscous flow of the slag.

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Slag viscosity classification:

Slag viscosity classification:

• Crusty - Too much CaO (and/or MgO)
• Fluffy - CaO/MgO saturated, Ok for
refractories but not optimum for desulfurization
• Creamy - Just CaO/MgO saturated, Good for
steelmaking and refractories (Ideal)
• Watery - Too liquid, aggressive to the
refractories

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Binary Phase system

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The CaO–SiO2 System

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The Al2O3–SiO2 System

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Ternery phase system

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The CaO–FeO-SiO2 System

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Question
1. Calculate the basicity index with the following composition:
Component %
CaO 55

SiO2 20

MgO 8

Al2O3 12

CaF2 5

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Question
2. Tuliskan semua
kemungkinan-kemungkinan
fasa yang terbentuk pada
temperature 20XX oC
Notes:
XX adalah 2 nomor NPM
terkahir

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Question
3. Tunjukkan titik untuk diagram terner antara
CaO-FeO-SiO2 (gambar disamping)
Pada jumlah CaO (dalam %) adalah 2 nomor
NPM terakhir
Jumlah CaO-FeO-SiO2 harus 100 persen, nilai
lainnya mengikuti.

Contoh:
Nomor npm terakhir adalah 72
CaO=72%
FeO=10%
SiO2=18%
Tunjukkan titik atau posisi pada diagram terner
tersebut sesuai komposisi diatas!

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Slag and steel
Slag significantly effects the quality and the properties of the steel.
 Proper slag formation is a crucial part in clean steelmaking as in the old
proverb:
“Take care of your slag, the steel will take care of itself”.

https://www.afchemicals.com/index.php/our-expertise/slag-in-steelmaking
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References
• Physical Chemistry of Metallurgical Processes, First Edition. M.
Shamsuddin. © 2016 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.
Published 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• FUNDAMENTALS OF EAF AND LADLE SLAGS AND LADLE
REFINING PRINCIPLES By Eugene Pretorius Baker Refractories

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