Application of Spent Coffee Grounds (SCGs) as a Fuel and Alternative Reducer of Slags from the Copper Industry

Tomasz Matula (), Jerzy Labaj, Krzysztof Nowacki, Leszek Blacha, Lukasz Kortyka, Lukasz Mycka, Piotr Madej, Lukasz Jaworek and Tomasz Wojtal
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Tomasz Matula: Department of Metallurgy and Recycling, Faculty of Materials Science, Silesian University of Technology, Krasinskiego 8, 40-019 Katowice, Poland
Jerzy Labaj: Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of Materials Science, Silesian University of Technology, Krasinskiego 8, 40-019 Katowice, Poland
Krzysztof Nowacki: Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of Materials Science, Silesian University of Technology, Krasinskiego 8, 40-019 Katowice, Poland
Leszek Blacha: Department of Metallurgy and Recycling, Faculty of Materials Science, Silesian University of Technology, Krasinskiego 8, 40-019 Katowice, Poland
Lukasz Kortyka: Lukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, Sowinskiego 5, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Lukasz Mycka: Lukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, Sowinskiego 5, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Piotr Madej: Lukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, Sowinskiego 5, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Lukasz Jaworek: Lukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, Sowinskiego 5, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Tomasz Wojtal: Department of Metallurgy and Recycling, Faculty of Materials Science, Silesian University of Technology, Krasinskiego 8, 40-019 Katowice, Poland

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: This article presents the results of a study on metallurgical slag reduction using biomass such as Spent Coffee Grounds (SCGs). The proposed solution is a new aspect of searching for alternatives to standard reducers used in pyrometallurgical processes of metal production. Its gasification yields significant amounts of hydrocarbons, which are excellent reducing agents in such processes. The research results of copper slag reduction with the use of SCG biomass indicate this process is characterised by lower carbon dioxide emissions compared with the process using solid fuels such as coke and coke breeze. The addition of SCG as the reducer ensures the decrease in copper content in the slag to 0.32 wt.%, which corresponds to the increase of so-called relative decopperisation degree even up to 96.9%. As the decopperisation degree of slag increases, significantly more intense reduction in lead oxides during the reduction process is observed. The smallest lead content in waste slag of 0.91 wt.% was obtained for the slag reduction process with 7.56 wt.% of SCG as the reducer and the process duration of 1.5 h.

Keywords: reduction; spent coffee grounds; metallurgical slag (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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