TECHNOLOGY FOR EXTRACTING SILICON DIOXIDE FROM METALLURGICAL WASTE USING SODIUM HYDROXIDE

This paper explores modern technological approaches to recycling dust waste generated during the production of ferrosilicon. The study focuses on metallurgical dusts with a high content of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) as the primary material. Their composition and physicochemical properties were analyzed, and a sodium hydroxide (NaOH)-based processing technology was proposed. In this method, silicon is extracted in the form of water-soluble sodium silicate, which is subsequently converted into amorphous silicon dioxide. Compared to sublimation-based technologies, the proposed method operates at lower temperatures, consumes less energy, and offers greater environmental safety. The potential use of the processed products in the construction materials industry (e.g., slag blocks, silicate bricks, plaster mixtures) is also discussed. The results confirm that the NaOH-based recycling technology is both economically viable and environmentally sustainable.