2024-02-26 22:08:19
Copper smelting is a major source of copper production, generating significant amounts of slag. In 2022, China produced over 11,000 kilotons of refined copper, leading to 2.2 to 3 tons of slag per ton of copper produced. This slag contains valuable metals like copper (0.5%–6%), lead (0.2%–0.6%), and zinc (1%–5.5%), which are often not recovered, resulting in resource waste and environmental hazards from leaked toxic ions.