Methods for recovering a target metal from iron or steel slag using at least one of a carbothermic reduction process and a pyro-hydrometallurgical process

A method for recovering at least one target metal from electric arc furnace or basic oxygen furnace iron or steel slag, the method comprising the steps of:

• mixing particles of the iron or steel slag, at least one a reducing agent in a reducing agent-to-iron or steel slag mass ratio in the range of from about 0.06 to about 0.12, and at least one fluxing agent in a fluxing agent-to-iron or steel slag particles mass ratio in the range of up to about 0.1 to produce a mixture;
• and
• wherein the fluxing agent is selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina and a combination comprising silica and alumina;
• smelting the mixture at a temperature of from about 1300° C. to about 1800° C. to form a metallic phase comprising iron as a first said target metal and a slag phase;
• and
• separating the metallic phase comprising the first target metal from the slag phase to produce a metallic phase comprising the target metal and an iron-depleted slag,
• wherein:
• the reducing agent comprises a carbon source;
• or
• the iron or steel slag particles have a size of less than about 200 mesh,
• and wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following steps:
• grinding the iron or steel slag particles prior to mixing;
• classifying and separating the iron or steel slag particles by size into fractions;
• drying the iron or steel slag particles prior to mixing;
• pelletizing the mixture prior to the smelting step;
• grinding the slag phase to obtain slag particles;
• and
• reducing the iron metal content in the slag phase to produce an iron-depleted slag.