Strength and sulfuric acid resistance properties of cement mortar containing copper slag

Each year, more than seven hundred thousand tons of copper slag are generated in Korea as a byproduct during the production of copper. Due to the large amount of copper slag produced, there has been increased interest in the use of copper slag as a construction material. To evaluate the potential of copper slag as a construction material, laboratory evaluations were conducted in this study, and three particle shapes and replacement rates of river sand were selected as experimental variables. Strength, air-void characteristics, and sulfuric acid resistance were the three properties evaluated to assess whether copper slag can be used as a construction material. Test results indicate that the gradation of copper slag has an effect on strength, and the maximum strength was achieved when 60 % of river sand was replaced with copper slag. In addition, when compared with ordinary Portland cement mortar, replacing river sand with copper slag reduced air void size and increased sulfuric acid resistance.