Recycling alternatives of converter slag in concrete and mortars

The objective of this work is the study of the use of a residue of a steel plant (COSIPA-SP), constituted by magnetite, in components of the civil construction, aiming to increase the recycling and, consequently, to decrease the impact of that residue in the environment. To reach this objective, additions of this residue were tested in the formulation of concrete with the purpose of radiation shielding, as pellets in coarse aggregate, and as substitute of the fine fraction of sand in the composition of a coating mortar. The concrete produced with purpose of radiation shielding showed that for small residue additions (up to 30%), there was not significant variation in the mechanical properties, nor in the attenuation properties to the radiation. Therefore, it did not justify its addition for purpose of heavy concrete. The results obtained on pelletizing process show that the obtained pellets presented value of specific gravity (2,75 g.cm-3) very close to the one of the common crushed stone (2,55 g.cm-3 ), however, they presented a low resistance to the compression, (0,2 KN) for the pellets when compared to regular crushed stones (5,8 KN). These results show that its use could commit the mechanical resistance of the concrete without bringing any advantage on density increase or increment of radiation attenuation. The mortars produced by the addition of the fine residue in substitution to the sand, showed an improvement in the retention of water in green (95%), in comparison to the produced without residue (41%). Also, for ali the tested proportions of substitutions, the same resistance to the compression (approximately 40 MPa) was achieved The results of the leaching and solubility tests showed that even in case of largest amount of substitution of sand for residue (14,55%), there were not great variations on the analyzed elements in the extract, allowing to conclude that the residue behaved satisfactorily to the mortar. Its use as part of mortar composition showed to be viable, since the magnetic properties that it may confer to the mortar does not commit its purpose. (author)