Crystallization behavior of BOF slag during the cooling process towards leaching for CO2 sequestration

This work addresses the crystallization behavior and microstructure feature of the molten basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag during a slow cooling process. The aim is to provide a reference for the modification of BOF slag for subsequent leaching of Ca as part of CO2 sequestration. Integrated analysis of XRD, SEM-EDS, and thermodynamic calculations suggest a crystallization behavior of BOF slag during the cooling process. RO phases ((Mg, Fe, Mn) O) was the equilibrium phase at a high temperature of around 1600 °C, followed at lower temperatures by the formation of Ca3SiO5 (C3S) and α-Ca2SiO4 (α-C2S). The Ca2Fe2O5 (C2F) phase forms during the latter stages of melt solidification. On the basis of the combined analysis of the leaching test results and crystallographic analysis, a future direction of modification of BOF slag is suggested that enriches Ca into the C2S and hinders the formation of C2F. However, inhibiting the generation of C2F by adjusting the cooling process alone is difficult since its crystallization rate is fast. The phase of C2F was observed in XRD and SEM even if the BOF slag was quenched from 1600 °C. Furthermore, the chemical characterization and morphological evolution of the crystalline phase of molten BOF slag during the slow cooling process was observed.