1.Jiangxi Copper Technology Institute Co.,Ltd.,Nanchang330096,China
2.Guixi Smelter,Jiangxi Copper Company Limited,Guixi335424,China
Citations
Li Bingrong,Gao Yang,Wang Quanyong,Zhu Yongqiang,Yu Jin,Tu Yu,Zhang Wei,Sun Yunlong. Properties of forsterite-spinel composite prepared from copper smelting slag tailings[J]. Copper Engineering,2026(4):34-40.
Abstract
Copper smelting slag tailings are solid wastes obtained from flotation depletion of copper slag generated in pyrometallurgical copper smelting. Their massive accumulation produces serious environmental and safety hazards. Forsterite-spinel composite materials were prepared by a high-temperature solid-state sintering method using copper smelting slag tailings as the main raw material, with addition of light-burned magnesia and activated alumina. Effects of sintering temperature on phase composition, microstructure, and physical properties of the materials were systematically investigated. Results showed that the main crystalline phases of sintered samples were forsterite and spinel, while fayalite phase was completely decomposed. As sintering temperature increased, grains of forsterite and spinel gradually grew, and densification degree of the material continuously improved. When sintering temperature was 1 400 ℃, the sample exhibited the best comprehensive performance, with a bulk density of 2.75 g/cm3, an apparent porosity of 24.11%, and a cold compressive strength of 138.5 MPa.
铜是现代工业不可或缺的基础材料,在电力传输、新能源、电子信息等领域发挥着关键支撑作用。随着我国铜消费需求的持续增长,铜矿资源开采规模不断扩大,铜冶炼行业快速发展[ Du J L,Zhang F X,Hu J H,et al. Direct reduction of copper slag using rubber seed oil as a reductant:iron recycling and thermokinetics[J]. Journal of Cleaner Production,2022,363:132546. 1]。铜渣是火法炼铜过程中产生的一种成分复杂的工业副产物,既含有As、Pb、Cr等有害元素,也富含Cu、Co、Zn、Fe等有价金属,具备一定的资源化利用潜力[ Klaffenbach E,Montenegro V,Guo M X,et al. Sustainable and comprehensive utilization of copper slag:a review and critical analysis[J]. Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy,2023,9(2):468-496. 李明冬,饶剑,刘星,等. 铜冶炼渣综合利用现状与展望[J]. 中国矿业,2025,34(4):251-261. 2-3]。据统计,每生产1 t金属铜产生2~3 t铜渣。2023年我国精炼铜产量达1 299万 t,相应铜渣排放量约3 000万 t,累计堆存量已逾3亿 t,占用大量土地资源[ 余伟奇. 铜渣资源化利用研究现状及展望[J]. 铜业工程,2023(4):173-179. 张廷安,王坤,豆志河,等. 铜渣贫化及其高值化利用[J]. 铜业工程,2024(3):85-96. 4-5]。同时,铜渣中残留的重金属易随降水淋溶进入周边土壤及水体,引发环境污染,长期堆存的渣场还存在崩塌、滑坡等安全隐患[ 姚艺佳,柯璇,刘硕,等. 铜冶炼渣资源化处理及综合利用研究进展[J]. 有色金属科学与工程,2025,16(5):689-698. 6]。然而,受限于铜渣复杂的矿物组成与多元素共生嵌布特性,其资源化利用仍面临较大技术瓶颈。当前铜渣资源化水平整体偏低,铁和铜的利用率分别不足1%和12%[ 唐超凡,张荣良. 铜渣高价值化利用研究进展[J]. 粉末冶金工业,2022,32(5):117-123. 7]。
近年来,铜渣的资源化利用已成为国内外研究的热点。Mansourkiyaei等[ Mansourkiyaei S,Golzary A. Innovative approaches to circular economy in copper slag management:maximizing resource efficiency and sustainability[J]. Results in Engineering,2025,27:106903. 8]从循环经济角度分析了铜渣可持续综合利用的技术经济可行性。Wu等[ Wu Z J,Zhou J,Liang J L,et al. Comprehensive utilization of copper slag:an overview[J]. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering,2026,14(2):121209. 9]系统综述了铜渣在金属回收、建筑材料、环保材料、工业填料、陶瓷原料及农业改良剂等多个领域的应用路径,指出铜渣正从“环境负担”向“城市矿山”转变。在陶瓷材料方面,Zhang等[ Zhang L X,Liang L S,Li Y,et al. Preparation of lightweight foam glass-ceramics from copper slag tailings:secondary aluminum slag as pore-forming agent[J]. Ceramics International,2024,50(21):43699-43709. 10]以铜渣尾矿和废玻璃为主要原料制备了轻质泡沫微晶玻璃。另有研究利用铜渣与锂辉石尾矿成功制备了抗压强度达140 MPa的建筑陶瓷[ Lemougna P N,Yliniemi J,Adesanya E,et al. Reuse of copper slag in high-strength building ceramics containing spodumene tailings as fluxing agent[J]. Minerals Engineering,2020,155:106448. 11]。
Table 2 Lattice constant and cell volume of spinel at different temperatures
烧结温度/℃
晶格常数/nm
晶胞体积/nm3
1 350
0.835 25
0.582 7
1 400
0.834 99
0.582 1
1 450
0.834 62
0.581 4
结果表明,随着烧结温度的升高,试样中尖晶石的晶格常数和晶胞体积均不断减小。在MgAl2O4结构中,Fe3+和Fe2+均能进入晶体结构。由于Fe3+与Al3+具有相似的离子半径,其更倾向于取代Al3+形成Mg(Al,Fe)2O4固溶体,进而提升尖晶石材料的机械强度[ Carbonin S,Martignago F,Menegazzo G,et al. X-ray single-crystal study of spinels:in situ heating[J]. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals,2002,29(8):503-514. 21]。 而Fe2+主要取代Mg2+占据四面体位置形成(Mg,Fe)Al2O4固溶体。本文中铜渣尾矿主要由铁橄榄石和磁铁矿组成。在烧成过程中铁离子会进入MgAl2O4结构中生成(Mg,Fe2+)(Al,Fe3+)2O4固溶体。随着烧结温度的升高,体系中液相量逐渐增多,(Mg,Fe2+)O中的Fe2+易溶解在液相中,使尖晶石晶胞体积逐渐减小[ Wu T,Kohlstedt D L. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy study of the kinetics of oxidation of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4[J]. Journal of the American Ceramic Society,1988,71(7):540-545. 22]。此外,铜渣尾矿中Zn2+、Ca2+等杂质离子也能够固溶于镁橄榄石和尖晶石相中,引起晶格畸变,为 Mg2+、Al3+的扩散提供额外驱动力,从而促进镁橄榄石和尖晶石晶粒长大[ 董浩然,聂建华,梁永和,等. 烧成温度对菱镁矿尾矿合成镁橄榄石性能的影响[J]. 硅酸盐通报,2023,42(6):2054-2061. 23]。
Table 4 EDS analysis of points in Fig.4 (%, atom fraction)
标示点
Mg
Al
Si
Fe
Zn
Ca
O
1
20.5
5.7
1.4
47.2
0.9
0.2
23.9
2
24.6
3.9
21.7
3.5
3.5
3.5
42.1
3
41.9
—
26.8
8.5
1.1
0.9
20.9
4
20.4
7.5
—
39.0
0.9
0.4
31.2
5
17.0
5.6
1.1
59.1
1.2
—
16.1
6
37.2
—
11.9
30.3
3.9
0.1
16.5
图5为1 400 ℃处理后试样的SEM图像。由图5可以看出,经1 400 ℃烧结后,试样中存在发育良好的尖晶石晶粒,而镁橄榄石则被冷却过程中形成的玻璃相包裹。尽管反应温度为1 400 ℃以上时,镁橄榄石能快速生成,但试样中液相量对晶体发育仍有着极为重要的影响[ Li B R,Wei Y W,Wang J H,et al. Improved hydration resistance of CaO granules via sol-processed metal oxide protective layers[J]. Journal of the American Ceramic Society,2021,104(9):4878-4890. 25]。因此,采用热力学软件FactSage 6.2中的Equilib模块计算了烧结过程中理论液相含量与温度的关系,结果如图6所示。可以看出,随着烧结温度的升高,试样中的液相含量逐渐增加,约为7%,这与物相分析结果(图3)基本一致。高温条件下液相能够充分填充晶粒间的空隙,通过润湿作用极大地促进传质和颗粒的重排过程,镁橄榄石和尖晶石晶粒不断发育,有效提高了试样的烧结速率。 随着烧结过程中晶粒尺寸的增长,在晶界迁移的带动下,气孔逐渐聚集、融合,在晶界处形成较大的气孔并逐渐排出,烧后试样的致密化程度不断提高,有利于其耐压强度和体积密度的提高。
图5 经1 400 ℃处理后试样的SEM图像
Fig. 5 SEM images of samples treated at 1 400 ℃:(a) 1 000×;(b) 5 000×
图6 温度对理论液相量的影响
Fig. 6 Effects of sintering temperature on theoretical liquid phase content
DuJ L,ZhangF X,HuJ H,et al. Direct reduction of copper slag using rubber seed oil as a reductant:iron recycling and thermokinetics[J]. Journal of Cleaner Production,2022,363:132546.
[2]
KlaffenbachE,MontenegroV,GuoM X,et al. Sustainable and comprehensive utilization of copper slag:a review and critical analysis[J]. Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy,2023,9(2):468-496.
MansourkiyaeiS,GolzaryA. Innovative approaches to circular economy in copper slag management:maximizing resource efficiency and sustainability[J]. Results in Engineering,2025,27:106903.
[9]
WuZ J,ZhouJ,LiangJ L,et al. Comprehensive utilization of copper slag:an overview[J]. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering,2026,14(2):121209.
[10]
ZhangL X,LiangL S,LiY,et al. Preparation of lightweight foam glass-ceramics from copper slag tailings:secondary aluminum slag as pore-forming agent[J]. Ceramics International,2024,50(21):43699-43709.
[11]
LemougnaP N,YliniemiJ,AdesanyaE,et al. Reuse of copper slag in high-strength building ceramics containing spodumene tailings as fluxing agent[J]. Minerals Engineering,2020,155:106448.
CarboninS,MartignagoF,MenegazzoG,et al. X-ray single-crystal study of spinels:in situ heating[J]. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals,2002,29(8):503-514.
[22]
WuT,KohlstedtD L. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy study of the kinetics of oxidation of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4[J]. Journal of the American Ceramic Society,1988,71(7):540-545.
LiB R,WeiY W,WangJ H,et al. Improved hydration resistance of CaO granules via sol-processed metal oxide protective layers[J]. Journal of the American Ceramic Society,2021,104(9):4878-4890.