Applied Sciences, Vol. 14, Pages 11734: Use of Mineral Waste for the Production of Artificial Aggregates

Applied Sciences, Vol. 14, Pages 11734: Use of Mineral Waste for the Production of Artificial Aggregates

Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app142411734

Authors: Katarzyna Nowińska Bartłomiej Grzesik Magdalena Kokowska-Pawłowska Jacek Nowak

Mineral waste represents the largest group of industrial waste, which constitutes a serious environmental and economic problem. This paper presents the phase and chemical susceptibility to leaching of coal mining wastes, steel and iron production slags, and non-ferrous metallurgical slags. These wastes, because of their properties, are used for the production of artificial aggregates. A detailed description of the slags’ properties (chemical and phase composition, technical characteristics, and releasability of constituents to the aquatic and soil environment) allows applications for such waste to be sought, which is beneficial for environmental and economic reasons. Coal mining wastes, slags from iron and steel production, and non-ferrous metallurgical slags are characterized by a variable chemical and phase composition, dominated by components with a relatively low degree of leaching, i.e., silicates, carbonates, sulphates, and intermetallic compounds. Therefore, these wastes are widely used for the production of artificial aggregates, perfectly meeting the requirements of the circular economy policy.