Effective removal of phosphorus from high phosphorus steel slag using carbonized rice husk

pCO2 decrement through alkalinity enhancement and biological production in a shallow-water ecosystem constructed using steelmaking slag

Ocean-based carbon dioxide removal has gained immense attention as a countermeasure against climate change. The enhancement of ocean alkalinity and the creation of new blue carbon ecosystems are considered effective approaches for this. To evaluate the function of steelmaking slag from the viewpoints of CO2 reduction and creation of new blue carbon ecosystems, we conducted a comparative experiment using two mesocosms that replicated tidal-flats and shallow-water ecosystems. Initially, approximately 20 seagrasses (Zostera marina) were transplanted into the shallow-water area in the mesocosm tanks. The use of steelmaking slag is expected to increase the pH by releasing calcium and mitigate turbidity by solidifying dredged soil. In the experimental tank, where dredged soil and steelmaking slag were utilized as bed materials, the pH remained higher throughout the experimental period compared with the control tank, which utilized only dredged soil. As a result, pCO2 remained consistently lower in the experimental tank due to mainly its alkaline effect (March 2019: -10 ± 6 μatm, September 2019: -130 ± 47 μatm). The light environment in the control tank deteriorated due to high turbidity, whereas the turbidity in the experimental tank remained low throughout the year. The number of seagrass shoots in the experimental tank was consistently approximately 20, which was higher than that in the control tank. Additionally, more seaweed and benthic algae were observed in the experimental tank, indicating that it was more conducive to the growth of primary producers. In conclusion, tidal-flat and shallow-water ecosystems constructed using dredged soil and steelmaking slag are expected to enhance CO2 uptake and provide a habitat for primary producers that is superior to those constructed using dredged soil only.

Aluminium sulfate synergistic electrokinetic separation of soluble components from phosphorus slag and simultaneous stabilization of fluoride

In this study, fluoride (F) was stabilized and soluble components, namely phosphate (P), K, Ca, Cr, Mn, and Pb, were extracted from phosphorus slag (PS) by using aluminum sulfate (AS) synergistic electrokinetic. PHREEQC simulation was used to determine the occurrence form of each ion in the PS. The mechanisms by which various electrokinetic treatment methods affected conductivity and pH distribution were carefully investigated. Electrokinetic treatment increased P concentration of the anode chamber from 22.7 mg/L to 63.39 mg/L, whereas K concentration increased from 15.26 mg/L to 93.44 mg/L. After AS-enhanced electrokinetic treatments, the concentrations of the different components were as follows: P, 131.66 mg/L; K, 198.2 mg/L; and Ca, 331.3 mg/L. The removal rate of soluble P in PS slices increased to 80.88% by 1.5 V/cm of treatment, and it increased to 94.04% after AS enhancement treatment. For water-soluble F, the removal rate from the PS slices in the anode region was 86.03%, decreasing F concentration in the electrode chamber to 9.57 × 10^-3 mg/L. Different extraction efficiencies and stability levels of each component in the PS were regulated at various electrode regions by using different processes such as electromigration, electro-osmotic flow, flocculation, and precipitation. Good results can be obtained if fluoride is solidified concurrently with the removal or recovery of P, K, Ca, and other elements using 2%-4% AS enhanced electrokinetic treatment. Furthermore, CaSO₄·2H₂O whiskers were produced in the electrode regions when AS content was 6%. The findings of this study indicated that the AS synergistic electrokinetic method is suitable for stabilizing F and removing heavy metals from PS, thus providing a promising technology for recycling valuable components such as P, K, Ca, and Sr and for the simultaneous production of CaSO₄·2H₂O whiskers. This study provides insights for developing novel technologies for the clean treatment and high-value utilization of PS.

Study on the Effect of Different Factors on the Change of the Phosphorus-Rich Phase in High Phosphorus Steel Slag

With the use of high phosphorus iron ore, there is a large amount of high phosphorus steel slag formed, which is difficult to handle. How to separate the elemental phosphorus has become a key issue in the secondary utilization of steel slag. Experiments found that there were distinct phosphorus-rich phases, iron-rich phases and matrix phases in the high-phosphorus steel slag cooled with the furnace. In this study, the effects of heat treatment conditions and slag basicity on the P2O5 content, as well as the size of the phosphorus-rich phase were investigated. Taking all factors into consideration, the optimal experimental conditions were determined as the holding temperature and time of 1350 °C and 60 min, respectively, and the slag basicity of 1.8. At this time, the P2O5 content in the phosphorus-rich phase reached 24.2%, and the average size of the phosphorus-rich phase was 63.51 μm. The phosphorus-rich phase is separated by crushing and magnetic separation for making phosphate fertilizer, and the residual steel slag is used again for steelmaking, which enables the realization of the resource utilization of high phosphorus steel slag.