Abstract
In this study, SiO2–Al2O3–CaO–MgO steel slag ceramics containing 5 wt % MgO were used for the preparation of ceramic bodies, with the replacement of 5–20 wt % quartz and feldspar by fly ash. The effect of the addition of fly ash on the sintering shrinkage, water absorption, sintering range, and flexural strength of the steel slag ceramic was studied. Furthermore, the crystalline phase transitions and microstructures of the sintered samples were investigated by XRD, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and SEM. The results showed that the addition of fly ash affected the crystalline phases of the sintered ceramic samples. The main crystal phases of the base steel slag ceramic sample without fly ash were quartz, diopside, and augite. With increasing fly ash content, the quartz diffraction peak decreased gradually, while the diffraction peak intensity of anorthite became stronger. The mechanical properties of the samples decreased with the increasing amount of fly ash. The addition of fly ash (0–20 wt %) affected the optimum sintering temperature (1130–1160 °C) and widened the sintering range. The maximum addition amount of fly ash should be 15 wt %, for which the optimum sintering temperature was 1145 °C, water absorption was 0.03%, and flexural strength was 43.37 MPa higher than the Chinese national standard GBT 4100-2015 requirements.
Highlights
Steel slag is a by-product of the steelmaking process that accounts for approximately 10–15% of the steel production [1]
The sintering shrinkage of samples 1–4 at 1110 ◦ C is very low, which indicates that the densification process has not started at 1110 ◦ C
At 1135 ◦ C, the sintering shrinkage of sample reaches about 8%, which indicates that the addition of fly ash significantly affects the densification process of the sample
Summary
Steel slag is a by-product of the steelmaking process that accounts for approximately 10–15% of the steel production [1]. In China, the steel production in 2015 reached 804 million tons, and steel slag production was about 100 million tons. If a large amount of steel slag is not used, it occupies land resources, and causes the waste of available resources and significantly pollutes the environment. In addition to ceramic materials, the contribution of other materials to sustainability is a topic of study, such as cement-based ones [8,9,10,11], and in that way, the performance of several additions and wastes, such as steel slags, has been analyzed
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