Alkaline hydrometallurgical approach for steel slag management

Steel slags are artificial mineral matrices produced by the steel and iron industry. While they are considered as industrial waste, these slag heaps represent an important potential economic resource. The importance of hydrometallurgy in production and recycling of strategic metals cannot be stressed enough. Nevertheless, their use is increasingly under economic pressure since 2014. Clearly, improving or even optimizing these processes is required. In addition, although steel slags are classified as non-hazardous thermal waste, it is well known that most metals they contain are quite toxic to living organisms and pose serious environmental issues. Thus, reusing steel slags appears the option of choice to ensure their sustainable management.