CO2 Sequestration Potential of Steel Slags at Ambient Pressure and Temperature

A study of carbon dioxide sequestration has been performed in aqueous electric arc furnace (EAF) and ladle furnace (LF) slag suspensions, in leached hydrated-matrixes, and in leachates to estimate their intrinsic sequestration potential at ambient conditions (temperature of 20 +/- 1 degrees C and atmospheric pressure). The CO2 sequestration was tested in aqueous suspensions of steel slags at a liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 kg/kg as well as in leached hydrated-matrixes and leachates isolated from these fresh slag suspensions after three consecutive leachings. The sequestration assays were performed at 20 degrees C with a flow rate of 5 mL/min of a CO2 concentration of 15.00 vol %. The results have revealed that the CO2 sequestration capacity of the LF slag suspension (24.7 g of CO2/100 g of slag) is 14 times superior to that of the EAF slag suspension. This greater CO2 sequestration capacity of the LF slag suspension may be associated in large part to its higher content of portlandite, which reacts with CO2 relative to the EAF slag suspension. Moreover, the separation of hydrated-matrixes and leachates significantly enhanced the CO2 sequestration capacity of EAF slag while a slight decrease was observed for the LF slags. This may be due to an obstruction of the CO2 binding sites of LF slag hydrated-matrixes following the accumulation of calcium carbonate. Taken together, these results suggest that EAF and LF slags could be used for the CO2 sequestration and given a good yield as well in aqueous suspension as in separated matrixes and leachates.