JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Proposals were before the South African Parliament to declassify manganese slag as a waste product, which was opening up opportunities for its use, BHP Billiton South Africa projects head Tribe Bhengu said on Thursday.
Bhengu, who was addressing the MetalBulletin Events sixth South African ferroalloys conference, said South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs was making the necessary amendments to the Waste Act so that the slag, which was in abundant supply, could be put to use.
Reclassification would mean that manganese slag would be ranked as a by-product and not a waste product, as is already the case in both Europe and Australia.
“But in our South African context, it is classified as a waste product,” he said, adding that its imminent declassification presented an opportunity for its use as aggregate in cement- and brickmaking.
“There are millions of tons of slag ready for use once the legislation is changed,” Bhengu said.
Tests have proved that the slag, which has a 15% manganese oxide content, does not leach.
“There is potential to build cheaper houses because you will be able to make a brick at lower cost,” Bhengu said, adding that it also offered potential for enterprise development for previously disadvantaged South Africans.
“It is sitting there idle and a change to the Act will unlock a lot of potential,” he told Mining Weekly Online.