Slag former

Slag formers are materials added to the molten metal during the smelting process to remove impurities such as sulphur, silica, and phosphorus. These materials, typically lime, fluorspar, or alumina, play a critical role in producing clean, high-quality metals. The top producers of slag formers are China, India, and the United States. Slag formers are mainly used in steelmaking, copper refining, and aluminium production.

Sub-Category	Core Content Range	Size Range
Alumina Lime Mixture	Various	n/a
Fluorspar	CaF2 82-100%	5-80 mm
Gravel	Various	n/a
Lime Fluorspar Mix	CaO 73-78%	0-3 mm
Quartz Gravel	Various	n/a

Please note that the above listed sub-categories including its core content and size ranges are just a snapshot of Metalshub’s currently traded raw materials. We are adding new sub-categories on a monthly basis and would be happy to assess your specific requirements to this category.

Metalshub provides producers and consumers of slag formers with a software solution to improve the way they buy or sell it. Our software connects over 2,000 companies in a joint trading network. This allows sellers to discover new buyers of slag formers and buyers to discover new suppliers of slag formers.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows steel mills, refineries and other consumers to digitalise their procurement process in order to increase sourcing efficiency, ensure compliant buying, and take data-driven decisions. For sellers, Metalshub’s Sales Solution allows miners, traders, and other sellers to digitalise their sales process, manage inventory, and optimise their sales book.

The top slag former-producing countries are:

• China – ~50% of global production, focusing on lime and fluorspar for steel production.
• India – ~15%, supplying slag formers for domestic steel and copper industries.
• United States – ~<15%, a key producer of lime and alumina-based slag formers.
• Russia – ~<10% of global production
• Mexico – ~5% of global production

Some of the key producers of slag formers include:

• Imerys (France) – ~<10%, supplying slag formers for the refractory and steel industries
• Lhoist Group (Belgium) – ~5%, a major producer of lime-based slag formers.
• Orbia (Mexico) – ~5%, specialising in fluorspar production for steel and non-ferrous refining

Slag formers are produced from raw materials such as limestone, fluorspar, and alumina. These materials are crushed and processed to specific size requirements for use in smelting operations.

Slag formers are primarily used in the steelmaking industry (~60%) to remove impurities and improve the quality of the final steel. They are also used in non-ferrous metal refining (~20%), such as in copper and aluminium production. Additionally, slag formers are used in the production of cement (~10%) from blast furnace slag. Lime, fluorspar, and alumina are common slag formers traded for these applications.