Converting electric arc furnace slag into a (latent) hydraulic binder

Unlike granulated blast furnace slag or Portland cement clinker, electric arc furnace slag does not exhibit any (latent) hydraulic properties, which rules out its direct use as a binder component. A project carried out at the FEhS-lnstitute for Building Materials Research was able to show on a labora-tory scale that materials similar to clinker or to granulated blast furnace slag with adequate engineering properties can be produced by metallurgical and material conversion of molten electric arc furnace slag. A particular disadvantage, however, is the energy requirement for reduction of the slag that is rich in iron oxide. More extensive investigations will be needed to clarify whether it will be possible to realize not only the technical advantages with respect to an alternative use for the by-product electric arc furnace slag in an industrial process but also the advantages, when compared with conventional clinker production, with respect to CO2 emissions and specific energy consumption. © 2019 Verlag Bau und Technik GmbH. All Rights Reserved.