Use of treated non‐ferrous metallurgical slags as supplementary cementitious materials in cementitious mixtures

Abstract

This research investigated the possibility of using metallurgical slags from the copper and lead industries as partial replacement for cement. The studied slags were fayalitic, having a mainly ferro‐silicate composition with minor contents of Al2O3 and CaO. The slags were treated at 1200– 1300 °C (to reduce the heavy metal content) and then granulated in water to promote the formation of reactive phases. A full hydration study was carried out to assess the kinetics of reactions, the phases formed during hydration, the reactivity of the slags and their strength activity as supplementary cementitious material (SCM). The batch‐leaching behaviour of cementitious mixtures in-corporating treated slags was also investigated. The results showed that all three slags have satisfactory leaching behaviour and similar performance in terms of reactivity and contribution to the strength development. All slags were found to have mediocre reactivity and contribution to strength, especially at early ages. Nonetheless, they passed the minimum mechanical performance requirements and were found to qualify for use in cement.