Abstract
It is well known that steelmaking slag expands by reacting with free lime and atmospheric water. Therefore, it is important to determine the mechanism of expansion in order to utilize the slag effectively as a material for subgrade, soil stabilization or concrete.
In this paper, the expansive properties of electric arc furnace slags by water absorption were investigated by using a small-sized electric furnace to dehydrate crystallized water in the slags. A porosimeter was used to measure the micropore distribution and absorption of water in the slag under high pressure (199MPa), and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was also employed.
From the micrograph of SEM, it was observed that the surface of reducing slag particles was very rough with many protuberances like wens and that the slag particles became smaller by water absorption under high pressure.
By using the relationship among the amount of water absorption, the amount of dehydration and the ratio of expansion, it seems possible to judge the effect of “aging” from the amount of dehydration.
