Impact of Electrokinetic Remediation on the Physicochemical Parameters and Metal Content of Steelworks Slag
摘要
Throughout its history, the steel industry has consistently been at the forefront of recycling, showcasing its pioneering nature. A few outstanding examples of its commitment of recycling include the efficient reuse of scrap materials and the early adoption of blast furnace slag products. Recently, extensive research has been conducted across European countries to further enhance the utilization of steelworks slag. By employing electrokinetic remediation technique on slags, it enhances the extraction of contaminants. To achieve this, several experiments were applied on steelworks slag using a 360 ml setup. The electric potential, current, electroosmotic flow, pH, and electric conductivity were monitored during 7 days of treatment. The treated slags were then sectioned and analyzed for physico-chemical parameters as well as metal content. The observed changes in the physico-chemical parameters indicate that electrokinetics has the potential to modify the slag’s composition where a reduction and redistribution of metals occurs. Approximately 65% of the initial slags undergo a drop in conductivity, eventually reaching a final value near 1.8 mS/cm. This decrease in conductivity indicates the successful removal of ionic species and metals where Mo was reduced from most sections. Other elements were also removed, such as Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Ca, Cr, Cr, Mn, Ni, Ti, Zn, K, V, Ga, Sr, Zr, Nb, and Ba. The observed reduction in conductivity and metals is a key result, highlighting the effectiveness of our remediation approach in transforming the slag into a more stable and environmentally-friendly material.