Current Status and Issues of the Copper Slag

Copper slag is a byproduct of the copper smelting process at copper smelters and refineries. There are five copper smelters in japan. Let me introduce the efforts of the Mitsubishi Materials Corporation for one of examples. Mitsubishi Materials Corporation has two smelters located in Naoshima (Naoshima-cho, Kagawa prefecture) and Onahama (Iwaki-shi, Fukushima prefecture) respectively that produce copper slag. The copper concentrate―the primary raw material used in copper smelting―is imported almost entirely from Pacific Rim countries such as Chile and Canada after their domestic mine, Akenobe, was closed in 1987. Besides the copper concentrate, They actively take and treat recycled raw materials such as shredder dust which is made from the destruction of electronic scrap substrates from household appliances, personal computers, smartphones and used cars, after the collection of recyclable iron and similar metals. They use these raw materials for thermal energy and focus on collecting and recycling the valuable metal from these so-called "urban mines" (electronic gadgets from which metal can be taken). As a result, Naoshima and Onahama smelters and refineries, their process has become one of the most large capability recycled raw material management systems in the world. As the copper smelters and the cement factory both use the raw materials which are produced as a byproduct each other, it creates a recycling loop that doesn’t need a final disposal site. The effective use of copper slag, which is a byproduct of copper smelting, is related to environmental preservation and the restrained consumption of natural resources, in particular, it is very important not only in the development of a recycling-minded society, but it also affects the maintenance and development of the copper smelting business. Although copper slag is effectively used as an iron raw material for cement as mentioned above, we continue to drive for further spread for domestic market as a concrete fine aggregate and so on. In introducing copper slag here we hope this report will heighten awareness of copper slag and lead to an increase and spread in its uses