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Study of chromium immobilization behavior in unbound and concrete bound ferrochromium slag

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Abstract

Disposal of ferrochromium slag, a major industrial solid waste generated during production of ferrochromium alloy has been a serious problem owing to the presence of 7.8–12.0% residual chromium in it. The principal mineral phases in the slag were identified as forsterite, fayalite, magnesiochromite and chromferide. Microscopic and scanning electron microscopic studies of the slag revealed that the immobilization of chromium occurred mostly as trivalent chromium in spinel and mixed spinel phase. Various leaching studies under different pH, particle size and long-term leaching experiments of unbound slag showed the release of significant quantities of chromium. Lower release value of chromium was obtained from the slag having higher Factor Sp values. Nevertheless, the release values from all the leaching tests from unbound granulated slag failed very often to meet the discharge standard for hexavalent chromium in India. The tank test conducted for concrete bound ferrochromium slag demonstrated high values of leachability index more than 12.5, thereby showing the immobilization of leachable chromium in all the specimens. Two days’ short tank leaching test for all concrete specimens showed insignificant release of chromium complying the regulatory requirements.

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Acknowledgements

The authors deeply acknowledge the institute authorities for providing the infrastructural and laboratory support to execute the work. We express our thanks to the Dean ITER and principal NIST for allowing the publication of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Deemed to be University, ITER, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Bhubaneswar, India

    Chittaranjan Panda, Priyanka Dash & Trilochan Jena

  2. Department of Chemistry, Deemed to be University, ITER, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Bhubaneswar, India

    Sudhansu Sekhar Biswal

  3. Government College of Engineering, Kalahandi, Bhawanipatna, India

    Kishor Chandra Panda

  4. Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Science and Technology (Autonomous), Berhampur, Odisha, India

    Duryodhan Sahu

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  1. Chittaranjan Panda
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  2. Sudhansu Sekhar Biswal
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  3. Priyanka Dash
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Correspondence to Chittaranjan Panda or Duryodhan Sahu.

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Panda, C., Biswal, S.S., Dash, P. et al. Study of chromium immobilization behavior in unbound and concrete bound ferrochromium slag. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 24, 528–539 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-021-01337-x

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