Authors:
Rafael Schouwenaars
1
and
Rosa María Ramírez Zamora
2
Affiliations:
1
Facultad de Ingeniería, Departamento de Materiales y Manufactura, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyocacán, 04510 and México
;
2
Instituto de Ingeniería, Coordinación de Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and Mexico.
Keyword(s):
Waste valorisation, Slag, Water Treatment, Petrographic Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy.
Abstract:
Iron and steel slag represent a high-volume solid waste material from heavy industry. Despite several applications in the construction industry, most slag is still deposited in landfills, where it represents an increasing environmental nuisance. Over the last decade, it has been shown that many slags can be used for environmental remediation, particularly in the treatment of contaminated water resources, where the waste product can substitute for expensive high-speciality reagents. This is important in reducing the cost of water treatment. Most authors describe the action of the slag as adsorption; recently, strong evidence has been presented that they act as a source of ions, which promote precipitation. Considering the complex composition and mineralogy of slags and large variety of slags produced in the iron and steel industry, precise identification of candidate materials for specific applications is a challenge. This brief paper will summarise some applications and show how opti
cal and electron microscopy serve as a tool to identify active components in the product and help elucidating the contaminant removal mechanisms.
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