Recovering industrial sludge-derived slag as fine aggregate

This study presents the result of using melting to recover both industrial sludge slag (the main constituent of which is calcium fluoride) and water works sludge slag as fine aggregate in cement. The main characteristics of both slag and cement mortars were measured to evaluate the feasibility of using slag as aggregate. In this study, the slag replacement ratios were 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% (w/w), and the curing periods were 7, 28, and 90 days. Slag quality was determined according to the standards of fine aggregates in the ASTM specifications, and cement mortars with various slag replacement ratios were evaluated based on their compressive strength, and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The crushed slag produced in this study met the ASTM standards for fine aggregate, including gravity, unit weight, absorption, and grading, and the TCLP leached concentrations are far below existing limits, establishing the safety and suitability of slag as fine aggregate. The TCLP leached concentrations of slag and cement mortar were not significantly related to the replacement ratio, and declined with increasing curing period, revealing that the hydration strongly influenced metal leaching. The compressive strength test results of the cement mortars demonstrated that the optimal replacement ratio for maximizing compressive strength was 40%. This study also discussed the effects of replacement ratio and curing periods on cement mortars.