Slags deserve our attention — they are essential raw materials that are created during the production of so-called pig iron or crude steel. In general, a distinction is made between two essential processes of production. In the iron ore-based process, pig iron is produced from oxide ores in the blast furnace. The pig iron is subsequently processed into crude steel in an LD oxygen converter with scrap additions. In the ore-based process, the crude steel is produced by recycling steel scrap in the electric arc furnace. Depending on the process, this is referred to as blast furnace slag or steel mill slag.
Slag makes a valuable contribution to the circular economy, as almost all of the slag produced by industry can be and is used for production for the cement or building materials industry, as an aggregate for road construction or even as a fertiliser.
In order to meet the increasing demands of the industry — to close or recycle material flows in the best possible way and to prevent landfill costs — Neuson Hydrotec based in Linz — for years an established and reliable worldwide supplier of mobile and stationary jaw crushing technology to slag recycling companies and renowned steelworks — has reacted and developed the MRP403000, a mobile screening and processing plant.
The track-mounted MRP403000 (“MRP” for Metal Recovery Plant) was designed to screen the feed or crushed bulk material directly on site according to grain size and also to separate the material according to magnetic properties in order to ensure the recovery of valuable iron content, which can be returned directly to industry.
The bulk material is fed into the vibro feed and metering unit by means of a wheel loader or excavator, with the bulk material being separated according to grain size classes in the downstream vibrating screen. The required or produced grain sizes can vary widely due to a customer-specific sieve tension. The enrichment or discharge of ferrous material is ensured by means of magnetic separators above the discharge belts. The resulting fractions are — depending on requirements — either fed to downstream continuous conveyors or directly stockpiled.
The system essentially consists of the following assemblies:
Vibrating feed and dosing unit for converting discontinuous feed into continuous feed of the bulk material into the plant.
A vibrating sieve for separation into up to 4 grain fractions.
Up to 3 magnetic separators for separating magnetisable bulk materials.
The discharge belts for the continuous discharge of the individual fractions.
Power machine, either electric or as a combustion engine with a hydraulic system to drive the components.
Electrics for controlling or regulating the engine and the hydraulic system.
The frame construction with caterpillar drive for moving the assemblies.