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Smelting used to be less efficient; therefore, wastes obtained from historical processing at smelter plants usually contain certain quantities of valuable metals. Upon the extraction of useful metal elements, metallurgical slag can be repurposed as an alternative mineral raw material in the building sector. A case study was conducted, which included an investigation of the physico-chemical, mineralogical, and microstructural properties of Pb–Zn slag found at the historic landfill near the Topilnica Veles smelter in North Macedonia. The slag was sampled using drill holes. The mineralogical and microstructural analysis revealed that Pb–Zn slag is a very complex and inhomogeneous alternative raw material with utilizable levels of metals, specifically Pb (2.3 wt.%), Zn (7.1 wt.%), and Ag (27.5 ppm). Crystalline mineral phases of wurtzite, sphalerite, galena, cerussite, akermanite, wüstite, monticellite, franklinite, and zincite were identified in the analyzed samples. The slag’s matrix consisted of alumino-silicates, amorphous silicates, and mixtures of spinel and silicates. Due to the economic potential of Pb, Zn, and Ag extraction, the first stage of reutilization will be to transform metal concentrates into their collective concentrate, from which the maximum amount of these crucial components can be extracted. This procedure will include combination of gravity concentration and separation techniques. The next step is to assess the Pb–Zn slag’s potential applications in civil engineering, based on its mineralogical and physico-mechanical properties. Alumino-silicates present in Pb–Zn slag, which contain high concentrations of SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, and Fe2O3, are suitable for use in cementitious building composites. The goal of this research is to suggest a solution by which to close the circle of slag’s reutilization in terms of zero waste principles. It is therefore critical to thoroughly investigate the material, the established methods and preparation processes, and t

The performance of thermo-insulation rendering mortars with alternarions in ratios of powdered cordierite and talc was examined. The goal was to confirm that recycled kilnware cordierite can be reapplied in the mortar design without significant deterioration in performance in comparison with OPC mortar. Differential thermal analysis was employed for examining thermally induced reactions. The cavitation erosion, in testing sequences ranging from 30 to 120 minutes, was used to assess the compactness of the mortar structure. The physico-mechanical properties of experimental mortars were investigated. The morphologies of the mortar tablets upon cavitation were studied using a scanning electron microscope. It was established that cordierite and talc filler in amounts up to 20% enhance microstructural packing and mechanical strengths due to improved cementation and therefore contribute to cavitation erosion resistance. Higher amounts of talc cause structural degradation and mass loss during cavitation tests. Reducing manufacturing costs, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions are the main objectives of the production of this waste-based construction composite, as the reuse of waste materials can help achieve a number of Sustainable Development Goals.

In this study, the resistance to the cavitation effect of three types of refractory samples based on talc with the addition of 10%, 15% and 20% cordierite was investigated. Talc has a fine structure, low hygroscopicity, insensitivity to temperature changes, low coefficient of thermal conductivity, low coefficient of linear thermal expansion, great ability to stick and coat surfaces, good grindability, low hardness. Cordierite has high refractoriness, high hardness, high density, low value of dielectric constant, low coefficient of thermal conductivity, low coefficient of linear thermal expansion, high resistance to thermal shock, relatively high melting temperature with the possibility of application up to 1380°C, high inertness towards liquid metal. Cordierite was added in order to improve properties, primarily to increase resistance to the effect of cavitation. The prepared mixtures of refractory powders were pressed under a pressure of 1 MPa and sintered at 1200°C.To evaluate the cavitation resistance properties of the investigated refractory samples, the ultrasonic vibration method with a stationary sample was applied. The change in the mass of the samples as a function of the cavitation time was monitored and the cavitation speed was determined. The formation and development of damage to the surface of the samples was monitored using a scanning electron microscope. The mechanism of degradation and resistance to the effect of cavitation of the tested samples was monitored by measuring the mass loss and morphological analysis of the pits formed on the surface of the tested samples. Research has shown that the addition of cordierite in the composition of the tested samples based on talc significantly improves the properties of resistance to the effect of cavitation.

In this study, we examine an innovative approach to determining the Bond work index, a key parameter in the mining and cement production industry that indicates material grindability. The method relies on the first-order kinetics law and allows for the estimation of approximate index values with any number of grinding cycles, depending on the desired data accuracy. An important aspect of this approach is the multiplication of parameters G and P80 for each cycle by specific coefficients, achieving values close to those of the last grinding cycle when equilibrium is reached in the standard test. In this paper, we compare the results obtained by the innovative method with the standard Bond procedure on various samples of mineral materials. Our analysis shows a significant reduction in the mean square error as the number of grinding cycles increases, indicating increased precision of the new approach

U radu je izvršen proračun vertikalnog mlina na osnovu pretpostvaljenog kapaciteta prerade od 40 t/h suve sirovine. Kao sirovina je razmatrana topionička šljaka iz prerade koncentrata bakra, koja je već prošla dva stadijuma mlevenja (mlin sa šipkama i mlin sa kuglama). Vertikalni mlin sa kuglama je razmatran za treći stadijum mokrog mlevenja, jer je za valorizaciju bakra iz topioničke šljake potrebno dalekosežno usitnjavanje i veoma fino samleven proizvod, kako bi se obezbedili uslovi za uspešnu flotacijsku koncentraciju.

Soil amendments and conditioners are indeed crucial for maintaining soil health and fertility, especially in the face of a growing global population. These tools help to create an environment where fertilizers can effectively provide essential nutrients to crops. As soils become increasingly depleted worldwide, it is essential to focus on improving soil health through the use of these amendments and conditioners. This will support the production of nutrient-rich crops and also contribute to sustainable agriculture practices that can feed a growing population. This paper, provide an overview of their purpose, how they function, and how soil conditioners are generally obtained.

U ovom radu je prikazan deo tehnoloških ispitivanja, koncentracije rovne bentonitske rude iz ležišta „Bijelo Polje“-Bar koja su u ITNMS-u obavljena na 3 uzorka. Posle određivanja granulometrijskog i mineraloškog sastava polaznih uzoraka bentonita, ispitivana je mogućnost njihove koncentracije primenom postupaka mokrog klasiranja, Postupcima mokrog klasiranja dobijene su dve vrste koncentrata klase krupnoće -0,075+0,00mm I 0,037+0,00mm za sva tri ispitivana uzorka. Dobijeni koncentrati su ispitivani rendgenskom difrakcionom analizom da bi se utvrdio njihov mineralni sastav, i laserskom difrakcionom analizom radi utvrđivanja njihovog granulometrijskog sastava. Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata obavljenih analiza vršena je validacija dobijenih koncentrata bentonita i samog postupka mokrog klasiranja.

The presented work offers an innovative process scheme for valorizing Pb-Zn slag, which involves crushing, grinding, and separation techniques to concentrate valuable components (non- ferrous metals). This methodology could have a significant impact on the global beneficiation of metallurgical slags since it is significantly more simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective than standard pyro- and hydrometallurgical procedures. According to previous physicochemical and mineralogical studies, Pb-Zn slag is a valuable secondary raw material. This inhomogeneous technogenic resource contains substantial amounts of non-ferrous metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ag). However, laboratory tests have indicated that the Pb-Zn slag contains highly uneven amounts of valuable metals, ranging from several g/ton to tens of g/ton. The main issue is that traditional metallurgical procedures for releasing beneficial elements are not commercially viable since the elements are “trapped” within the amorphous aluminosilicates or intergrowths of alloy grains and glassy phases. Gravity concentration (Wilfley 13 shaking table) and magnetic separation (Davis separator and disk separator) were used to obtain the final concentrate following comminution and grindability testing. The gravity concentration proved more effective. Namely, magnetic separators could not process nor adequately separate beneficial non-ferrous elements because they were merged together with iron-bearing minerals and aluminosilicates in amorphous Pb-Zn slag grains. With the gravity concentration approach, 12.99% of the processed slag belonged to ∆T fraction (concentration of non-ferrous metal alloys), while remaining 87% corresponded to the tailings fraction (∆L). The total amounts of recovered Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ag from ∆T and ∆L fractions were 5.28%, 6.69%, 0.58%, and 76.12 ppm and 1.22%, 6.05%, 0.43%, and 15.26 ppm, respectively. This streamlined approach to valorizing Pb-Zn slag can reduce the need for hazardous chemicals

This study investigates the kinetic models of Cu²⁺ ion adsorption onto clinoptilolite-rich zeolite. The study highlights the importance of diffusion kinetic models in understanding the adsorption process. Initial phases are significantly influenced by ion diffusion through the film to the particle surface, particularly within the first 30 minutes, which is crucial for heterogeneous surfaces like zeolites. Following this, surface adsorption (intraparticle diffusion) is described by the Weber-Morris model, effective primarily during the initial stage. As the process progresses beyond 20-30 minutes, ion removal rates decrease sharply, and diffusion within the particle core becomes the dominant factor, influencing the overall reaction rate.

Every year around 1.2 Mt of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) dust and around 50 kt of Cupola Furnace (CF) dusts are generated in Europe. Both materials are classified as hazardous waste due to significant concentration of Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb, which burden the metallurgical industry, albeit their possibility to be considered as an alternative source of valuable metals. Around 30 steelworks in the East-Southeast European Regional Innovation Scheme (ESEE RIS) region exploit EAFs for scrap-based steelmaking. However, the dusts generated from the exhaust gases abatement cannot be profitably recycled due to the absence of recycling plants operating in these areas, which implies that the dust generators have additional costs due to the dust ransportation to the nearest Zn recovery plant, since presence of toxic substances prohibits their landfilling. Thanks to the extensive knowledge on the extraction of a wide range of compounds from steelmaking dusts, as well as the capacity of reutilisation of residues after extraction in the building and construction industry, the DustRec project aims at the recovery of all the economical compounds within the dusts (Zn, Pb, Cu, Fe and others) hence minimizing the final waste landfilling and generate an economically feasible process with improved environmental and societal impacts. The proposed approach includes several emerging techniques from innovative magnetic and gravity separation methods to new pyro- and hydro-metallurgical reprocessing technologies for the separated fractions. In this paper, eight different dusts from EAF and CF were collected all around the partners’ countries and chemically, thermally and physically characterized in order to select the most optimal samples to be reprocessed for improved valuable extractions. Due to their high concentration of ZnO and PbO, three EAF dusts were identified as promising raw materials while two CF dusts will be employed as co-adjuvant for magnetic fraction reduction and smelting. Preli

The presented work offers an innovative process scheme for valorizing Pb-Zn slag, which involves crushing, grinding, and separation techniques to concentrate valuable components (non-ferrous metals). This methodology could have a significant impact on the global beneficiation of metallurgical slags since it is significantly more simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective than standard pyro- and hydrometallurgical procedures. According to previous physicochemical and mineralogical studies, Pb-Zn slag is a valuable secondary raw material. This inhomogeneous technogenic resource contains substantial amounts of non-ferrous metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ag). However, laboratory tests have indicated that the Pb-Zn slag contains highly uneven amounts of valuable metals, ranging from several g/ton to tens of g/ton. The main issue is that traditional metallurgical procedures for releasing beneficial elements are not commercially viable since the elements are “trapped” within the amorphous aluminosilicates or intergrowths of alloy grains and glassy phases. Gravity concentration (Wilfley 13 shaking table) and magnetic separation (Davis separator and disk separator) were used to obtain the final concentrate following comminution and grindability testing. The gravity concentration proved more effective. Namely, magnetic separators could not process nor adequately separate beneficial non-ferrous elements because they were merged together with iron-bearing minerals and aluminosilicates in amorphous Pb-Zn slag grains. With the gravity concentration approach, 12.99% of the processed slag belonged to ∆T fraction (concentration of non-ferrous metal alloys), while remaining 87% corresponded to the tailings fraction (∆L). The total amounts of recovered Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ag from ∆T and ∆L fractions were 5.28%, 6.69%, 0.58%, and 76.12 ppm and 1.22%, 6.05%, 0.43%, and 15.26 ppm, respectively. This streamlined approach to valorizing Pb-Zn slag can reduce the need for hazardous chemicals u

Dolomite is a valuable mineral commodity with numerous industrial applications. Dolostones are mineral resources with significant growth potential. The study area encompasses south and central Montenegro. Mineralogical, petrographic, geochemical, and technological properties were investigated. Upper Cretaceous dolostones are compact and contain organic matter, whereas Triassic dolostones are weathered dolomites without organic matter. Both of formations displayed varying dolostone quality, prompting the geological and technological classification of Montenegrin dolostones. Upper Cretaceous dolostones are utilized in the building industry as aggregate, dimension stone, and filler, whereas Triassic dolomites are not suitable as dimension stone and have limited potential as aggregate. Both dolostones can be utilized in the steel industry and agriculture, but not as high-quality fillers when whiteness is a limitation, or for lime production where chemical composition and grain size are regulated. This is the first comprehensive study of geochemical evaluations of dolostone deposits in the Balkans and their potential industrial use.

This paper presents results of investigations of the possibility of using “Glavatske Kuće”-Kotor limestone (Republic Montenegro) as filler in various industry branches. Micronization methods, granulometric composition, oil and water absorption and degree of whiteness were investigated, and chemical and thermal analyses (DT/TG) were performed. Physico-chemical properties of this limestone classify it among high quality carbonate raw materials with high CaCO3 content of 97,68%, as well as MgO content of 0,884% and low silicate content (SiO2 0,240%). The quality of this limestone meets the requirements of the standards for the use of calcium carbonate as a filler in the following industries: paints and coatings; glass, foundry, and sugar industry as well as metallurgy. Due to the low degree of whiteness (77,85%), limestone "Glavatska kuće" cannot be used in the paper and cosmetic-pharmaceutical industry. The high content of Cd is also unacceptable for the cosmetic-pharmaceutical industry. Due to the high content of Cu, this limestone cannot be used in the production of rubber and PVC. Due to the increased content of MgO, this limestone cannot be used in the production of mineral fertilizers. Due to the relatively high content of biogenic elements MgO, P2O5, K2O, Cu, and heavy metals Ni and Cd, limestone Glavatske Kuće”-Kotor cannot be used, in production of cattle feed and for neutralization of acidic soils.

U okviru tehničkog rešenja su istraţeni procesi dobijanja sinterovanog bazalta povišenih svojstava otpornosti na habanje i kavitaciju. Kao polazni materijal korišćene su olivin-piroksenske bazaltne stene iz leţišta Vrelo–Kopaonik (rovni bazalt). Definisani su optimalni parametri dobijanja bazaltnog praha procesima drobljenja i mlevenja bazaltnih stena. Predloţena je optimizacija procesa presovanja i sinterovanja bazalta u cilju postizanja zahtevane strukture i poboljšanih svojstava otpornosti na dejstvo habanja i kavitacije. OdreĎena je otpornost sinterovanog bazalta pod dejstvom kavitacije primenom ultrazvučne vibracione metode sa stacionarnim uzorkom prema standardu ASTM G32. Razvijena je metodologija procene kavitacione otpornosti sinterovanog bazalta na osnovu izračunatih kavitacionih brzina i analize morfologije oštećenja površine bazirane na primeni skenirajuće elektronske mikroskopije i kompjuterske analize slike. Definisani su elementi za procenu rizika i mere za kontrolu rizika nastajanja i razvoja oštećenja sinterovanog bazalta pod dejstvom kavitacije. Ovim tehnološkim rešenjem otvara se mogućnost prerade bazaltnih stena iz leţišta Vrelo–Kopaonik u proizvode za široku primenu u uslovima u kojima se javljaju visoke temperature i pritisci, habanje, korozija, dejstvo reaktivnih materijala kao što su tečni metali, šljaka, alkalije, jedinjenja hlorida, korozivni gasovi. Istraţeni reţim sinterovanja bazalta doveo je do pojave različitih udela staklaste i kristalne faze u strukturi. Cilj je bio da se definiše optimalni postupak sinterovanja bazalta (najmanje količine dodataka, najmanji utrošak energije, najkraća vremena) koji će proizvesti materijal ţeljene strukture i svojstva. Očekivani konačni rezultat je sinterovani bazalt poboljšanih svojstava koji moţe da zadovolji zahteve industrijske primene i ugradnje u konstruktivne elemente metalurških agregata. Pri tome svojstva materijala se odreĎuju pomoću standardizovanih laboratorijskih metoda ispitivanja ili pomo

U radu su prikazani rezultati istraživanja iz oblasti usitnjavanja, sakupljani duži niz godina, u Institutu za tehnologiju nuklearnih I drugih mineralnih sirovina. Poznato je da se područja sa frekfencijama preko 3•1011 do 3•1014 Hz nalaze u elektromagnetnom spektru infracrvenog i daleko infracrvenog emitovanog ili apsorbovanog zračenja. U radu su prikazani rezultati kada se materijal i kugle u mlinu nalaze na jednoj od pomenutih frekfencija, što nam omogućava da pomoću Borovog uslova frekfencija pristupimo izračunavanju emitovanih i apsorbovanih molarnih energija. Polimorfne promene materije pri usitnjavanju su promene izazvane fizičkim procesima, odnosno emitovanjem određene količine energije od strane mlina I adsorbovanjem tih energija od strane materijala. Izvršen je pokušaj da se odrede nivoi tih energija. Prikazani rezultati pokazuju da sve jedinke u mlinu pretrpe lokalni pritisak i tada na njima, delimično ili u celini, dolazi do polimorfnih promena materije menjajući fazna stanja i kristalnu strukturu iste. Na zrnima minerala na veoma ograničenim mestima po površini (10-3 do 10-5 cm2) i u kratkim vremenskim periodima trajanja (10-4 s) dolazi do povećanja temperature čak do 1000 C što su autori iz reference [3] nazvali magma plazma modelom slika 1. Rad prikazuje praćenje polimorfnih promena materija preko promena njihovih termodinamičkih veličina. Takođe, postoje i velike razlike polimorfnih promena minerala u zavisnosti od mineraloškog oblika u kojem se materija nalazi.

Boron is a rare element from the group of non-metals and it occurs in nature in over 250 boron-bearing minerals-borates. Turkey has the largest borate reserves and is their largest producer. Serbia has significant borate resources, for now without exploitation and processing. This paper presents the results of investigating two borate samples from the deposit ""Pobrđe. The following properties were determined on borate samples: free and hygroscopic moisture, granulometric composition, chemical composition, mineralogical analysis by size classes, and XRD analysis.

Velike količine flotacijske jalovine stvaraju se u Srbiji (preko 20 Mt), kao i u svetu (20.000-25.000 Mt). Zbog zaostalih teških metala (Pb, Cu, Fe i Zn...) ona predstavlja potencijalno opasni otpad koji bi trebalo zbog vrednosti plemenitih i obojenih metala u njoj reciklirati. Na Rudniku „Rudnik“ svake godine se generiše oko 250.000 t, flotacijske jalovine, od 1953. god. oko 11 Mt. Naučno istraživačkim radom i obavljenim ispitivanjima u okviru Projekta-REASONING (2024.-2026.) dobiće se rezultati i osvojiće se nova inovativna rešenja i znanja čija će implementacija omogućiti osvajanje tehnoloških postupaka reciklaže i prerade flotacijske jalovine Rudnika “Rudnik”.

Biochar continues to strengthen its presence in many new industries with its new applications, which are full of scientific and business news. A flurry of activity has sprung up around this carbon-based material, produced from biomass, following its use in water treatment, energy production and animal husbandry. In any new industry, process and product development, as well as feasibility studies, are very important for the product to come to market. This is especially true when it comes to biochar. Besides being in its infancy as an industry, biochar itself presents a number of challenges that make various tests necessary. Many properties affect the quality and performance of biochar products (pore size, cation exchange, electro- conductivity...) and will most likely vary depending on the starting material and the method of obtaining. Biochar can be made from a very long list of biomass materials. Although the above creates opportunities for industries that abound with highly adaptable products, it can still make biochar unpredictable, given that each starting material affects the characteristics of the final products differently.

U ovom radu je prikazan deo tehnoloških ispitivanja koja su u ITNMS-u obavljena na 5 vrsta uzoraka (3 rovna i dva kompozita) bentonita iz ležišta „Bijelo polje “- Opština Bar. Bentonit iz ležišta „Bijelo Polje“-Bar je Ca-bentonit, i u okviru tehnoloških ispitivanja definisani su I utvrđivani uslovi njegove aktivacije i prevođenja u alkalno aktivirani Na-oblik. U radu su takođe prikazani ispitivanja mogućnosti primene neaktiviranih i aktiviranih uzoraka bentonita u livnicama. Tehnološka ispitivanja mogućnosti primene bentonita „Bijelo Polje“ – Bar u metalurgiji su obavljena u Laboratoriji za kontrolu kvaliteta sirovina i finalnih proizvoda fabrike bentonita TD ,, BENTOMAK,, - Kriva Palanka – Ginovci (S. Makedonija). Parametri kvaliteta odredjeni su saglasno postojećim ISO, ASTM, EN kao i ex-Yu standardu JUS B.F1.040 koji se odnosi na bentonite za izradu kalupa i jezgara za livenje svih vrsta odlivaka.

This paper describes a part of the experimental procedure for testing the performance of grinding media (steel balls) during the smelting slag milling, as well as the modeling procedure and model results that predict the consumption of balls under given experimental conditions. Firstly, the most suitable mineral raw material for testing the durability of the grinding media was defined. In laboratory conditions, it was determined that it is most expedient to use slag from the melting process of Pb-Zn concentrate for testing. The coarse moisture content was determined on the initial slag sample, while the particle size composition and Bond work index were determined on the crushed slag samples. In accordance with the characteristics of the raw material, the technical-technological parameters of the system for wet grinding of slag were defined, in which the balls durability test was performed. The obtained results showed that the consumption of grinding media is about 1 kg/t of slag. Six ANN models, developed on the basis of experimental results, showed good predictive abilities when it comes to stel balls consumption. As a result of modeling, high correlation coefficients were obtained, the value of which was about R = 0.99.