Abstract
This paper reports on the characterization of a ladle slag from an electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mill that was pulverized to enable a wide range of beneficial uses that leverage its geochemistry and strong alkaline-buffering capacity. The powdered ladle slag (PLS) was subjected to a baseline characterization and EPA 1316 (Liquid–solid partitioning as a function of liquid-to-solid ratio in solid materials using a parallel batch procedure) and EPA 1313 (Liquid–solid partitioning as a function of extract pH using a parallel batch extraction procedure) leach testing for the target analyte list (TAL) metals to successfully prequalify it for pH neutralization and stabilization/solidification applications. Its bulk chemistry and buffer capacity were consistent with those of other EAF slags and lime/cement-rich media. Mineralogically, the PLS was dominated by merwinite (approximately 15%), gehlenite (approximately 6.6%), and iron magnesium oxide (6.2%) with an amorphous (noncrystalline) content of 33%–37% and a natural pH of approximately 12.5. Most of the free lime (2.8 weight %) was associated with the amorphous phase. EPA 1316 testing indicated that all Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals were at or below their reporting limits (RLs) for liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratios up to 100, except barium (Ba). For trace metals, only molybdenum (Mo) was above the RL for all L/S up to 100, whereas vanadium (V) exceeded its RL only at an L/S ratio of approximately 40. EPA 1313 leaching with sulfuric acid instead of nitric acid generally increased the concentration of all TAL metals, except for calcium and Ba. At a mid-range pH, the difference between the two acid leachates was up to four orders of magnitude for common soil minerals (e.g., aluminum), but for most others, the enhancement was about a factor of 10. For the pH range of environmental interest for stabilization/solidification applications (8–12.5), Ba, Mo, and V were the only noncommon soil mineral metals routinely detected above their respective RLs. V leaching was attributed to larnite and other silicates from a pH approximately 12.5 and increased with the pH decreasing to 10.5, thus increasing the aqueous V concentrations by a factor of 100 (to approximately 0.2 mg/L). Thereafter, V concentrations gradually became nondetectable at a range of pH 9 to pH 7.5, with karelianite (V2O4) and hydrous ferric oxides considered as the solubility-controlling phases. Overall, both EPA 1316 and EPA 1313 testing results supported the aforementioned applications.
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Acknowledgments
The data and analyses on which this paper is based were obtained and completed on behalf of TMS International LLC and a confidential client to support the use of the PLS media in pH neutralization and S/S applications. EPA 1316 and EPA 1313 testing were executed by Jacobs staff hosted in the Eurofins Environment Testing Northwest (Corvallis, OR) laboratory, with follow-on analytical testing provided by Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories (Lancaster, PA). All mineralogical testing was completed by Pittsburgh Mining and Environmental Technology (PMET) (New Brighton, PA). The authors express their thanks to E. Helbling of Jacobs for her assistance in the preparation of summary tables and figures. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Jacobs and/or TMS International LLC.
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Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 27 • Issue 4 • October 2023
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© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Nov 4, 2022
Accepted: Apr 19, 2023
Published online: Jun 20, 2023
Published in print: Oct 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Nov 20, 2023
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