IRON AND STEEL SLAG

        (Data in thousand metric tons, unless otherwise noted)

Domestic Production and Use:  In 1995, an estimated 21 million tons of iron and steel
slags (byproducts of iron and steelmaking), valued at $154 million, were sold or
used.  About 60% of this amount was iron slag with an f.o.b. value of about $126
million, and the balance was steel slag with an f.o.b. value of $29 million.  There
were 17 slag producing firms, with 5 processing only iron slag, 1 processing only
steel slag, and the remainder processing both iron and steel slag.  Iron-blast-furnace 
slags were processed at 27 facilities in 12 States; these slags consisted of
air-cooled, expanded, and granulated types.  Steel slags from open-hearth, basic
oxygen, and electric arc furnaces were processed at 76 facilities in 28 States. 
Approximately 60% of the Nation's iron and steel slags were produced in Indiana,
Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.  Iron and steel slags were used mainly as construction
materials.  Iron slag was typically used as road base, 45%; asphaltic concrete
aggregate and other concrete products, 34%; fill, 8%; and other, 13%.  Steel slags
were typically used as road base, 40%; asphaltic concrete aggregate, 15%; fill, 17%;
and other, 28%.  Of all iron and steel slag products shipped, 85% traveled by truck,
with an average marketing range of 30 miles; 4% traveled by waterway, with an average
marketing range of 250 miles; and 4% traveled by rail, with an average marketing
range of 175 miles.  The remaining 7% was used at the plant site.   

Salient Statistics--United States:     1991      1992      1993      1994      1995e/
Production, marketable               20,300    21,400    19,000    20,100    21,000
Imports for consumption                 150       100       162       199       210
Exports                                   5         4         4         4         4
Consumption, reported                20,300    21,400    19,000    20,100    21,000
Price average value, dollars 
 per ton, f.o.b. plant                 6.60      6.25      6.65      6.77      7.33
Stocks, yearend                          NA        NA        NA        NA        NA
Employmente/                          3,000     3,000     3,000     2,500     2,500
Net import reliance1/ as a percent of
 reported consumption                     1         1         1         1         1

Recycling:  Prior to processing, some steel slag is recycled to blast furnaces,
directly or as agglomerates, as a source of iron and flux materials.  The exact
amount recycled is not known; however, it may be as high as 80% of the steel slag
generated each year.  Ferrous scrap, recovered from slag during processing, is also
recycled to blast and steel furnaces.

Import Sources (1991-94):  Canada, 95%; Japan, 3%; and other, 2%.

Tariff: Item                Number       Most favored nation (MFN)       Non-MFN2/
                                                 12/31/95                12/31/95
Granulated slag          2618.00.0000              Free                 10% ad val.
Basic slag               3103.20.0000              Free                     Free.
Slag, dross, scalings, 
 from manufacture of
 iron and steel          2619.00.3000             23.6›/t                  73.8›/t.

Depletion Allowance:  Not applicable.  

Government Stockpile:  None.

Prepared by Iron and Steel Slag Specialist, (703) 648-7712.

                          IRON AND STEEL SLAG

Events, Trends, and Issues:  The amount of iron and steel slag consumed increased by
a small amount.  While iron slag consumption overall stayed about the same, the
amount of iron slag that was expanded or granulated increased.  This was due to slag
being used in greater quantities as a replacement for portland cement.

The fact that portland cement was in short supply impacted the slag industry.  Cement
companies, for the first time, began to look into the possibility of purchasing
granulated iron slag from slag processing companies and grinding it at the cement
plant site.  This was to expand the amount of cement available.  Iron slag imports
have also increased steadily since 1992.

Studies continued to be conducted to determine whether blast furnace slag was a good
and effective replacement of portland cement for oil field use.  The research
produced conflicting results.  Other research focused on the performance of cement
blends containing slag.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency included slag in its comprehensive Guideline
for Procurement for Products Containing Recycled Materials.   Ground granulated blast
furnace slag was included among the recycled products that could be used in cement
and concrete for a variety of applications.  The guideline designated items that
could be made with recovered materials and recommended for procurement practices in
order to foster markets for materials recovered from solid waste.

World Mine Production, Reserves, and Reserve Base:  Not applicable.

World Resources:  Not applicable.

Substitutes:  Crushed stone and sand and gravel are the predominant aggregate
substitutes in construction materials.

e/Estimated.  NA Not available.
1/Defined as imports - exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock change.
2/See Appendix B.

                              Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 1996