Glass-making-quality granulated slag process

Abstract

A process for forming granulated slag includes collecting a molten slag flow directly from a blast furnace in a temperature range between 2500° F. and 2600° F., quenching the molten slag flow with a flowing spray of water while the molten slag flow is still in the temperature range between 2500° F. and 2600° F. to create a granulated slag flow such that ferrous materials and non-ferrous metallic materials solidify joined together in the granulated slag flow, drying the granulated slag flow, magnetically separating the solidified joined ferrous materials and non-ferrous metallic materials from the granulated slag with a magnet device, and size-screening the granulated slag flow.

1 . A process for forming granulated slag, the process comprising:
 collecting a molten slag flow directly from a blast furnace in a temperature range between 2500° F. and 2600° F.;   quenching the molten slag flow with a flowing spray of water while the molten slag flow is still in the temperature range between 2500° F. and 2600° F. to create a granulated slag flow such that ferrous materials and non-ferrous metallic materials solidify joined together in the granulated slag flow;   drying the granulated slag flow;   magnetically separating the solidified joined ferrous materials and non-ferrous metallic materials from the granulated slag with a magnet device; and   size-screening the granulated slag flow.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein size-screening comprises separating out slag particles smaller than 140 mesh. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein separating out slag particles smaller than 140 mesh comprises filtering out fine slag particles from coolant water used in the quenching. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein size-screening comprises separating out slag particles over ⅜ inches in diameter prior to drying the granulated slag flow. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein size-screening comprises separating out slag particles larger than 24 mesh. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 crushing the slag particles larger than 24 mesh; and   recycling the crushed particles to the granulated slag flow for the size-screening.   
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein size-screening comprises separating out slag particles larger than 16 mesh. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein size-screening comprises separating out slag particles smaller than 140 mesh and larger than 24 mesh. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein separating out the slag particles comprises running the slag through at least one vibratory screen device. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein separating out the slag particles comprises running the slag through a plurality of vibratory screen devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of vibratory screen devices comprises agitating balls configured to bounce with the slag particles and facilitate separation of the slag particles from each other. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the quenching comprises quenching the molten slag flow with a water flow ten times a volume of the molten slag flow, wherein the water flow prior to the quenching has a temperature of not more than 200° F. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the quenching comprises quenching the molten slag flow with a water flow ten times a volume of the molten slag flow, wherein the water flow prior to the quenching has a temperature of between 150° F. and 170° F. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising magnetically separating ferrous materials from the granulated slag with a magnet device. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , further comprising providing a cooling flow through the magnet device to prevent the magnet device from overheating. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising magnetically separating ferrous materials from the granulated slag with a plurality of rare earth drum magnet devices. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein quenching the molten slag flow with the flowing spray of water comprises providing water spray from spray nozzles supplied with 40-60 psi water pressure situated 360 degrees around the molten slag flow. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein quenching the molten slag flow with the flowing spray of water comprises providing water spray from spray nozzles configured in three zones, comprising:
 a first zone situated below the molten slag flow and configured to spray water upon a bottom of the molten slag flow;   a second zone situated above the molten slag flow and configured to spray water upon a top of the molten slag flow; and   a third zone situated to both lateral sides of the molten slag flow and configured to spray water upon sides of the molten slag flow.   
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the molten slag flow comprises ten tons of slag per minute;
 wherein the first zone comprises a water flow of 5200 gallons of water per minute;   wherein the second zone comprises a water flow of 2600 gallons of water per minute; and   wherein the third zone comprises a water flow of 440 gallons of water per minute.   
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the molten slag flow comprises ten tons of slag per minute;
 wherein water nozzles provide water flows totaling at least 8240 gallons of water per minute.   
     
     
         20 . A process for forming granulated slag, the process comprising:
 collecting a molten slag flow directly from a blast furnace in a temperature range between 2500° F. and 2600° F.;   quenching the molten slag flow with a flowing spray of water while the molten slag flow is still in the temperature range between 2500° F. and 2600° F. to create a granulated slag flow such that ferrous materials and non-ferrous metallic materials solidify joined together in the granulated slag flow, wherein the flowing spray of water comprises a water flow ten times the volume of the molten slag flow;   drying the granulated slag flow;   magnetically separating the solidified joined ferrous materials and non-ferrous metallic materials from the granulated slag with a rare earth drum magnet; and   vibrating the granulated slag flow over size separating screens to separate the granulated slag flow, the vibrating comprising separating out slag particles smaller than 140 mesh and larger than 24 mesh.