Monday, October 06, 2025
Start of the research project “GeoCRM”
The project "GeoCRM" (Geometallurgical processing of steel making slag for recycling critical raw materials and CO2 binding) aims to make holistic use of steel making slag.
In addition to iron oxide, this slag often contains vanadium and phosphorus, which are considered as critical raw materials in the EU, as well as chromium. Besides recovering the critical raw materials, chromium and iron oxide, the project’s goal is to use the calcium silicate content in the slag as a CO2 binding agent. This produces a pozzolanic material that can be used in building materials. This comprehensive use of the slag is made possible by a preliminary geometallurgical analysis. The process is already used in mining for complex deposits and involves a detailed analysis of the mineralogical composition and textural structure.
The previously mechanically processed slag fractions are further processed at the BFI. Using a combination of hydro- and pyrometallurgical techniques, vanadium, phosphorus, and chromium are dissolved from the slag matrix and recovered. The process parameters are optimally adjusted based on geometallurgical analyses of the slag structure. Furthermore, the recovered iron oxide is agglomerated and then tested for its reducibility in hydrogen-based processes.
The project is funded by EFRE/JTF and will run for three years, starting this October. The VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH (BFI) is the project coordinator, partners are the FEhS Institute, the Advanced Mineral Processing Technologies - Teaching and Research Unit at RWTH Aachen University, Co-reactive GmbH, and thyssenkrupp MillServices & Systems GmbH tkMSS.
