Searching the fertility potential of iron and steel industry blast furnace slag

• Published in: World journal of engineering Vol. 13; no. 6; pp. 482 - 486
• Main Authors: Ozkaymak, Mehmet, Selimli, Selcuk, Kaya, Durmus, Uzun, Umit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brentwood Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Aluminum; Blast furnace iron mixers; Blast furnace slags; Cadmium; Chemical elements; Contamination; Cooling; Copper; Corn; Cucumbers; Dung; Emissions; Fertility; Fertilizers; Granulation; Heavy metals; Iron and steel industry; Iron and steel making; Iron compounds; Lettuce; Manures; Plant diseases; Raw materials; Recovery; Rice; Seeds; Silicon; Slag; Steel industry; Steel production; Vegetables; United States > US
• ISSN: 1708-5284
• DOI: 10.1108/WJE-09-2016-0080

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the fertility potential of the iron- and steel-making process waste granulated blast furnace slag to recover it as a beneficial product. Design/methodology/approach This slag fertilizer was mixed with organic fertilizer to enrich and dung the vegetable sets are pepper, lettuce and cucumbers. Findings In this study, 100 per cent granulated slag, 75 per cent granulated slag + 25 per cent fermented manure, 50 per cent granulated slag + 50 per cent fermented manure and 25 per cent granulated slag + 75 per cent fermented manure compositions were mixed with water and added to seeding pots. The growth rate of vegetable sets and also the level of contamination of heavy metals such as lead, copper, aluminum, mercury and cadmium were analyzed. The analyses results showed that contamination rates of lead, copper, aluminum, mercury and cadmium in lettuce and cucumber samples were in the range of acceptable levels for human health. Slag fertilizer enforced the set of growth rate and productivity, too. Originality/value By the recovery of the waste slag storage, transport and annihilation economical load on the industry would be eliminated, waste recovery contributes to the economical gaining and beneficial recovered products replace the need of fertility products.