Abstract: A method of recovering precious metals from metal alloys produced aluminothermically from base metal smelter slag, includes treating the metal alloy with aqueous sulphuric acid solution having a pH of not greater than about 2 to cause dissolution of nickel and/or cobalt and iron and to cause formation of hydrogen sulfide which reacts with copper in the metal alloy to form a copper sulfide precipitate containing at least one precious metal, and separating the copper sulphide precipitate containing at least one precious metal from the remaining solution containing cobalt sulphate and/or nickel sulphate and ferrous sulphate.

Abstract: A method of making cement from base metal smelter slag produced by nickel, copper, lead or zinc smelter, includes grinding the slag with clinker and blast furnace slag to a size in the range of from about -250 to about 425 mesh to produce ground slag cement, and mixing the ground slag cement with Portland cement in a ratio of at least about 0.5:1 by weight to produce a blended cement.

Abstract: A method of making cement from base metal smelter slag produced by a nickel, copper, lead or zinc smelter, includes crushing the slag with a source of calcium sulphate to a size of less than about 1/4 inch and heating the mixture to produce a cement, and grinding the cement to a size in the range of from about -250 to about 425 mesh.

Abstract: A method of recovering metals and producing a secondary slag from base metal smelter slag produced by a copper or nickel smelter includes mixing the smelter slag with at least one reducing agent selected from the group consisting of carbon, calcium carbide, ferrosilicon and aluminum, said carbon and calcium carbide (if present) being from about 1% to about 40% by weight of the slag and said aluminum (if present) being from about 2% to about 35% by weight of the slag and with from zero to about 70% calcium oxide by weight of the slag, heating the mixture aluminothermically if Al is present as reducing agent above the melting point to reduce the smelter slag to a metal alloy containing iron and possibly silicon and aluminum, depending on the quantity of aluminum added to the smelter slag, and heavy metals such as copper, nickel and cobalt which were in the smelter slag and thereby also producing a secondary slag containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of calcium silicate, calcium alu

Abstract: Cement is made from base metal smelter slag produced by a nickel, copper, lead or zinc smelter. The slag is ground to a size within the range of from about -250 to about 425 mesh to produce ground slag cement, and the ground slag cement is mixed with Type 3 high early strength Portland cement in a ratio of at least about 0.5:1 by weight to produce a blended cement.

Abstract: A method of recovering metals and producing a secondary slag from base metal smelter slag produced by a copper or nickel smelter includes mixing the smelter slag with at least one reducing agent selected from the group consisting of carbon and aluminum, said carbon (if present) being from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the slag and said aluminum (if present) being from about 5 to about 30% by weight of the slag, and with from zero to about 60% calcium oxide by weight of the slag. The mixture is heated above the eutectic melting point thereof directly and to ignition temperature aluminothermically (if aluminum is present as reducing agent) to reduce the iron silicate to ferrosilicon containing substantially all the copper, nickel and cobalt which was in the smelter slag and form a secondary slag comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of calcium silicate, calcium aluminate and calcium iron aluminum silicate. The ferrosilicon is then separated from the secondary slag.