Performance of copper slag concretes

Abstract

Copper slags (CS) could meet the increasing demand for supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in Germany due to their large local availability and pozzolanic behavior similar to that of type F coal fly ash. To evaluate potential future use cases, this study uses quenched CS as sand replacement and as SCM in concrete for infrastructural purposes. The used CS was characterized by its chemical, mineralogical, physical, and pozzolanic properties. Concretes were produced using blast furnace slag cements and 25 wt.‐% replacement of cement with milled CS. The concrete samples were tested for their mechanical and durability properties, i.e., chloride migration, carbonation, and freeze‐thaw resistance with deicing salt. Results show mechanical properties similar to those of reference concretes produced without CS as SCM, and a high resistance to chloride migration, while maintaining the density limits of concrete.