Weathering of slags

By: , and 
Edited by: Nadine M. Piatak and Vojtech Ettler

Links

Abstract

Weathering is a natural process causing the transformation of minerals, rocks, and related materials like glass under near-surface conditions. Although metallurgical slags are human-made materials, they also undergo natural weathering processes. As base metal slags weather, the released solutions may contain contaminants that could pose an environmental risk. On the other hand, weathering of ferrous slags is important because of the common reuse of the slags. This chapter summarizes factors that affect rates of slag weathering as well as defining and characterizing the two stages of weathering (incipient and advanced) as they are observed in a wide variety of individual phases and slags. We conclude that slags weather at different scales and rates depending on their chemistry and phase composition as well as the external conditions. Furthermore, weathering of slags is a process that is not perfectly reflected by natural processes because these materials are complex (in terms of texture, composition, and disequilibrium with surficial conditions) and not always analogous to rocks. Therefore, some information in this chapter on weathering is applicable to all slag types, some is relevant to only specific slag types, and some aspects require additional study.

Publication type Book chapter
Publication Subtype Book Chapter
Title Weathering of slags
Chapter 4
DOI 10.1039/9781839164576-00125
Year Published 2021
Language English
Publisher Royal Society of Chemistry
Contributing office(s) Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
Description 26 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Monograph
Larger Work Title Metallurgical slags: Environmental geochemistry and resource potential
First page 125
Last page 150
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details