Waste-Free Recycling of Secondary Bacor Resources1

Abstract

Technology is developed for two-stage processing of secondary zirconium-containing mineral resource. A production scheme includes mechanical treatment of bacor waste and subsequent chemical leaching of impurities. The main processes in the first (mechanical) stage are crushing and selective grinding with separation of high-zircon concentrate (Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ system) and aluminum-zirconia product leaner with respect to ZrO₂ (R₂O–Al₂O₃–ZrO₂–SiO₂ system). In the second stage the latter are leached with a fluoric acid solution. The waste-free technology proposed for enrichment makes it possible to use valuable secondary resources entirely with preparation of two end products: enriched bacor refractory and a slag-forming mixture for steel smelting production.