Accelerated carbonation and leaching behavior of the slag from iron and steel making industry

Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and steelmaking slag have been used as a raw material for cement production or as an aggregate to make concrete, which contribute aluminum, calcium, iron, and silicon oxides. The suitability of the slag for a particular application depends on its reactivity, cost, availability, and its influence on the properties of the resulting concrete. For the interest of durability studying of concrete in the presence of slag, the accelerated carbonation products and leaching behavior of the slag and Portland cement (PC) were studied. The experimental results confirmed that the slag was more resistant to carbonation compared to PC. The carbonation degree of GGBFS reduced by 17.74%; and the carbonation degrees of steelmaking slags reduced by 9.51%-11.94%. Carbonation neutralized the alkaline nature of the hydrated pastes and gave rise to the redox potential of the leachate slightly (30-77 mV). The carbonation also increased the release of most of the elements presented, except for calcium, to the aqueous environment. It is concluded that blend cements (PC plus slag) have economical advantages and better durability compared to PC.