Introduction of Steel Slag and Business Opportunity

Steel slag is a byproduct from either the conversion of iron to steel in a basic oxygen furnace, or the melting of scrap to make steel in an electric arc furnace. Like other kind of waste material, if the steel slag without further processing, they were non-decaying and will remain in the environment for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. This situation combined with the ever increasing consumer population and demand, has resulted in a waste disposal crisis.

Research reported by Hamzah (2002) that steel slag amounts to approximately 10% of liquid steel output in a typical steel producing plant and it indeed represents the major waste items generated from the steel making industry. The cost for committing to the environmental friendly disposal plan can add tremendous burden to the industry.

The fact to resolve the waste disposal problem and reduce cost, recycling of these materials and engineering them into useful products are essential and that was also align with Malaysia government’s effort in developing green business environment technology.

What can Steel Slag be used for?

Steel slag’s attribute in highly compressed structure, it resulted in very dense and hard materials. At the moment, this kind of engineering waste material widely innovatively and effectively use into road construction in various countries including Malaysia.

Fortunately, because of this type of engineering waste is high basicity and being cooled properly can exhibit cementing property; ground steel slag has been used in several different cementing systems. The use of steel slag in these cementing systems results in some advantages over conventional cements. Certain of country like China, they are further innovate the steel slag waste into building material i.e. cement block.

Steel Slag Worldwide

However, the use of steel slag as a cementing component should be given a priority from technical, economic and environmental considerations.

In America, steel slag widely use in cement production and in year 2008, its total usage around 2.7million metric tons. This products has substantially increase on demand and it was proven by SCA (Slag Cement Association of America) as environmental friendly and the 3.4 million metric tons of slag used in 2007 represents the following environment benefits :-

• Avoided carbon dioxide emissions: 2.6 million metric tons (the equivalent carbon emissions produced by about 430,000 cars).
• Avoided energy use: 13.0 trillion BTUs (the equivalent total energy used by 62,000 households).
• Conservation of virgin materials: 4.5 million metric tons (the equivalent quantity of raw material needed to produce portland cement for almost 2,300 lane-miles of 8 inch concrete pavement).

In summary, the waste material of steel slag can be engineering be used in the following aspects and that is also the principal activities of the company:-

- Recycling/extraction of remaining material; - Asphalt concrete pavement; - Poland cement; - Others cementing system for building material;

Malaysia mainly used for low economic sector in land filling.

Use of of Steel Slag in Europe 2004 (Total Amount 15mt)

Source : European Slag Association 2006

Road Construction Interim Storage Internal Recycling Final Deposit Hydraulic Engineering Fertilizer Cement Production Others Total

45% 17% 14% 11% 3% 3% 1% 6% 100%

Technology Applied

The processing technology was applied by the company was a kind of Japanese Process Technology which introduced by the joint venture partner TITCO. This technology was invented by its Japanese partner, Nippon Magnetic Dressing Company and it has the following unique advantages:-

1. Maximum Metallics Recovered (>95%);
2. High Grade Metal Content (>92%; >30mm);
3. High Concentrate Ferrous Fines (>65%; < 30mm);
4. Best Applications for Slag Residuals;

On technology, the company applied multiple re-circulated process of crushing (coarse, medium, fine), extractions (magnetic separation and gravity separation), screenings and grindings to super fines. The ultimate finished products would be able to suit different kinds of appliance.

This technology would be able to create maximum value for the company in terms of financially and environmentally. This technology has proven by TITCO in its Steel Slag Plant situated in Shanghai and Suzhou.

Business Model and Operational Process

The business model of the company set-out as below :-

1. TITCO shall responsible to transfer the technology and setup the processing plant to the company at no charge.
2. LICB steel mills shall supply the raw slag to the company at no cost;
3. The company would conduct the further processing to cut and crushed down the slag to the prescribed size whereby the iron metal (scrap) trapped inside the slag will be separated out.
4. The recovered steel/metal slag shall be guaranteed sales back to the mill at pre-agreed prices.
5. The steel mills are required to sign a 15 year service contract with the company to supply all its generated slag to the company and purchase the recovered iron metal from the company. This contract can be renewed with the consent of mutual parties.
6. Other than the recovered steel/metal slag, the processed slag would be open sales to the buyers however, LICB would be given first priority to purchase when, only when it wish to purchase for its own use.

Production Processes

	Hot steel slag would deliver to the processing plant dumping area by LICB group of companies. The company’s water sprayer would pour the water to cool down the temperature before putting into the conveyor system
Cooled Ir-regulate Size of Steel Slag Cooled Steel Slag would put into the conveyor system to send over to the crushing plant
	The slag breaking machine would break irregular shapes of slag into the specification defined in this primary crushing process. In this stage, it would undergo first round metal/steel would recovery process; this process would be able to segregate out the biggest size of remaining. After the first round segregation, the conveyor remaining slag would send for screening machine to test the content of steel/metal and size of slag. Via the magnetic system, separator would be able to recover the remaining steel/metal from the slag products in accord to the predefined size, weight and measurement.
After screening, slag would send for second/third round crushing/grinding/cutting into different size for different appliance. This process would on-repeating till reach the specification.