China Nonferrous Metallurgy

China is rich in arsenic reserves, but most of these are of paragenetic and associated minerals. In actual processing, the majority of these minerals goes into tailings and metallurgical residue/slag. As arsenic poses a great threat to environment and human health, usually some neutralization treatment is needed. With decreasing profits in the mining and metallurgical industries, neutralization is becoming less feasible economically, and turning arsenic solid wastes into useful resources is a promising trend. The paper begins with an overview of the current utilization of arsenic-bearing solid wastes in China, of related policies and arsenic materials of high added value, then describes the processes of arsenic recycling and related applications. The paper concludes that, apart from increasing environmental pressure, an increasing demand for arsenic-bearing materials, the reliance on importation of high purity arsenic, and governmental support in finance and polices altogether will usher in a promising future for the utilization of arsenic-bearing solid wastes.