ABSTRACT
The development of raw materials supply is characterized by decreasing metal grades and still quite low recycling rates. Metal bearing by-products such as slags, sludge or dust become more and more important for European industry as these residues carry a significant amount of valuables. Due to the lack of missing technologies and an accepted guideline for the assessment of landfilled material, this potential still lies idle. A new approach for the assessment of metal bearing by-products is currently followed by Montanuniversität Leoben and shortly presented. A case study for zero-waste processing of a slag from primary lead and zinc industry gives an insight on the ongoing research work and the upcoming challenges.
