Investigation of Use of SYSCO Slag for Acid Mine Drainage Treatment

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Slag is a granular by-product of the steel-making process composed mainly of calcium and silicon oxides and iscurrently reused in several applications including as a cement additive and in place of gravel. PortsideAggregates Ltd. has a contract with Nova Scotia Lands Inc. to process and sell all slag material left on theformer steel plant and coke ovens sites in Sydney, Nova Scotia (NS). Air-cooled blast furnace slag (ACBFS),which comes from the smelting of iron from iron ore, has been more studied than open hearth slag (OHS) andreuse avenues have been established for this higher calcium content waste slag material. In contrast, OHS hasnot been as well researched and active markets for reuse of this waste by-product of steel manufacturing arelimited. OHS a lower calcium content and contains more iron than ACBFS, limiting its reuse options. In thisproject, OHS from over a hundred years of steel making in Sydney, Nova Scotia will be tested for its ability toremove metals and acidity from coal mining wastewater and compared to the better-understood ACBFS. Twotreatment processes will be tested, an active treatment process where energy is required for mixing of the slagwith the mine wastewater, and a passive treatment process that could be used to line drainage systems fromabandoned mines. Given that OHS is a resource Portside Aggregates is interested in being able to exploit,finding new markets for this material through the technical expertise and resources available at the Center forWater Resource Studies (CWRS) at Dalhousie University will be beneficial for the company and thecommunity by increasing potential sales and restoring the environment.