Advances in the use of recycled non-ferrous slag as a resource for non-ferrous metal mine site remediation

Jiaxing Ban; Keke Sun; Jun Yao; Geoffrey Sunahara; Karen Hudson-Edwards; Gyozo Jordan; Lena Alakangas; Wen Ni; Chi-Sun Poon

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113533

Advances in the use of recycled non-ferrous slag as a resource for non-ferrous metal mine site remediation

Environ Res. 2022 Oct:213:113533. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113533. Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Authors

Jiaxing Ban¹, Keke Sun², Jun Yao³, Geoffrey Sunahara⁴, Karen Hudson-Edwards⁵, Gyozo Jordan⁶, Lena Alakangas⁷, Wen Ni⁸, Chi-Sun Poon²

Affiliations

¹ School of Water Resource and Environmental, Research Center of Environmental Science and Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong, China.
³ School of Water Resource and Environmental, Research Center of Environmental Science and Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China. Electronic address: yaojun@cugb.edu.cn.
⁴ School of Water Resource and Environmental, Research Center of Environmental Science and Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China; Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H9X3V9, Canada.
⁵ Environment and Sustainability Institute and Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
⁶ Department of Applied Chemistry, Szent István University, Budapest, 1118, Hungary; State Key Laboratory for Environmental Geochemistry, China Academy of Sciences, Guizhou, 550081, China.
⁷ Division of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering. Luleå University of Technology, 97187, Luleå, Sweden.
⁸ State Key Laboratory of High-Efficient Mining and Safe of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100083, China.

PMID: 35690086
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113533

Abstract

The growing global demand for non-ferrous metals has led to serious environmental issues involving uncovered mine site slag dumps that threaten the surrounding soils, surface waters, groundwater, and the atmosphere. Remediation of these slags using substitute cement materials for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and precursors for alkali-activated materials (AAMs) can convert hazardous solid wastes into valuable construction materials, as well as to attain the desired solidification and stabilization (S/S) of heavy metal(loid)s (HM). This review discusses the current research on the effect of non-ferrous slags on the reaction mechanisms of the OPC and AAM. The S/S of HM from the non-ferrous slags in AAM and OPC is also reviewed. HM can be stabilized in these materials based on the complex salt effect and isomorphic effects. The major challenges faced in AAMs and OPC for HM stabilization include the long-term durability of the matrix (e.g., sulfate attack, stability of volume). The existing knowledge gaps and future trends for the sustainable application of non-ferrous slags are also discussed.

Keywords: Alkali activated materials; Cementitious materials; Durability; Non-ferrous slag; Solidification and stabilization.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alkalies
Construction Materials
Environmental Restoration and Remediation*
Hazardous Waste
Metals, Heavy*
Recycling

Substances

Alkalies
Hazardous Waste
Metals, Heavy