Recycling of basic oxygen furnace slag as a raw material for autoclaved aerated concrete production

The purpose of this study was to recycle basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag in the production of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), and to examine the influence on the properties of AAC products. The magnetic substances in the BOF slag accounted for about 15 wt.% and the magnetic proportion increased as the particle size decreased. The nonmagnetic portion of the BOF slag was acquired by a magnetic separation process and its major constituents were Ca (similar to 42 wt.% as CaO) and Si (similar to 35 wt.% as SiO2), which are the essential elements of AAC. When using the BOF slag for AAC production, the bulk density and compressive strength of the specimens decreased as the amount of slag increased. The results of the performance analysis revealed that at appropriate water-solids ratios, using 15 wt.% or less of the BOF slag was beneficial to the properties of the AAC products. In general, it should be feasible to recycle the BOF slag in the production of AAC. However, the foreign elements introduced by the BOF slag can alter the formation and structure of hydrates, including tobermorite, and thus affect the properties of the AAC product, a potential issue that needs to be addressed.