Characterization of steel slag by SEM-EDS, XRD, and INAA

Steel slag is considered a by-product of the steel industry and its reuse is a strategy for environmental protection, since it consists of potential polluting materials. Its main applications involve the use of large quantities of the raw material, but the extraction of ores in smaller proportions c...

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Main Authors: Diogo Teixeira Moreira, Maria Ângela de Barros Correia Menezes, Adriana de Souza Medeiros Batista
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Brazilian Radiation Protection Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Proteção Radiológica, SBPR) 2021-04-01
Series:Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://bjrs.org.br/revista/index.php/REVISTA/article/view/1491
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author Diogo Teixeira Moreira
Maria Ângela de Barros Correia Menezes
Adriana de Souza Medeiros Batista
author_facet Diogo Teixeira Moreira
Maria Ângela de Barros Correia Menezes
Adriana de Souza Medeiros Batista
author_sort Diogo Teixeira Moreira
collection DOAJ
description Steel slag is considered a by-product of the steel industry and its reuse is a strategy for environmental protection, since it consists of potential polluting materials. Its main applications involve the use of large quantities of the raw material, but the extraction of ores in smaller proportions can be attractive. For example, magnetite (Fe3O4) may be of great interest for its magnetic properties in the production of composites with different applications. On the other hand, rare earth elements (REE) production is vital for new technologies and since traces of the different REE are found in most iron ores, their extraction can be conducted together. However, previous characterization of the slag is necessary; since they vary in mineralogical composition conform to steelmaking operations. Classical characterization techniques of ores such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) may be limited to characterize small fractions of materials. Therefore, in this study, neutron activation analysis was used as the characterization technique to confirm the presence of iron and REE in the slag. The steel slag composite sample of the Linz-Donawitz (LD) process was collected in a steelwork localized in the Iron Quadrangle, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The steel slag sample was characterized by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), using the nuclear research reactor TRIGA MARK I IPR-R1. The results are compared with the characterizations made with XRD and SEM-EDS. Although XRD and EDS results indicated the presence of magnetite in a small proportion, INAA was decisive confirming the presence of REE in the mineralogical composition of the composite sample collected.
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publisher Brazilian Radiation Protection Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Proteção Radiológica, SBPR)
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spelling doaj-art-29fa242a83594f8b9c508481d7c1366a2025-08-20T02:39:15ZengBrazilian Radiation Protection Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Proteção Radiológica, SBPR)Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences2319-06122021-04-0191A10.15392/bjrs.v9i1A.14911155Characterization of steel slag by SEM-EDS, XRD, and INAADiogo Teixeira Moreira0Maria Ângela de Barros Correia Menezes1Adriana de Souza Medeiros Batista2Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN) - Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN).Departamento de Anatomia e Imagem, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.Steel slag is considered a by-product of the steel industry and its reuse is a strategy for environmental protection, since it consists of potential polluting materials. Its main applications involve the use of large quantities of the raw material, but the extraction of ores in smaller proportions can be attractive. For example, magnetite (Fe3O4) may be of great interest for its magnetic properties in the production of composites with different applications. On the other hand, rare earth elements (REE) production is vital for new technologies and since traces of the different REE are found in most iron ores, their extraction can be conducted together. However, previous characterization of the slag is necessary; since they vary in mineralogical composition conform to steelmaking operations. Classical characterization techniques of ores such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) may be limited to characterize small fractions of materials. Therefore, in this study, neutron activation analysis was used as the characterization technique to confirm the presence of iron and REE in the slag. The steel slag composite sample of the Linz-Donawitz (LD) process was collected in a steelwork localized in the Iron Quadrangle, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The steel slag sample was characterized by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), using the nuclear research reactor TRIGA MARK I IPR-R1. The results are compared with the characterizations made with XRD and SEM-EDS. Although XRD and EDS results indicated the presence of magnetite in a small proportion, INAA was decisive confirming the presence of REE in the mineralogical composition of the composite sample collected.https://bjrs.org.br/revista/index.php/REVISTA/article/view/1491reefe3o4inaa.
spellingShingle Diogo Teixeira Moreira
Maria Ângela de Barros Correia Menezes
Adriana de Souza Medeiros Batista
Characterization of steel slag by SEM-EDS, XRD, and INAA
Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences
ree
fe3o4
inaa.
title Characterization of steel slag by SEM-EDS, XRD, and INAA
title_full Characterization of steel slag by SEM-EDS, XRD, and INAA
title_fullStr Characterization of steel slag by SEM-EDS, XRD, and INAA
title_full_unstemmed Characterization of steel slag by SEM-EDS, XRD, and INAA
title_short Characterization of steel slag by SEM-EDS, XRD, and INAA
title_sort characterization of steel slag by sem eds xrd and inaa
topic ree
fe3o4
inaa.
url https://bjrs.org.br/revista/index.php/REVISTA/article/view/1491
work_keys_str_mv AT diogoteixeiramoreira characterizationofsteelslagbysemedsxrdandinaa
AT mariaangeladebarroscorreiamenezes characterizationofsteelslagbysemedsxrdandinaa
AT adrianadesouzamedeirosbatista characterizationofsteelslagbysemedsxrdandinaa