RESOURCE-SAVING PROCESSING OF BLAST FURNACE SLAG AND SLUDGE IN THE PRODUCTION OF POLYMER-MINERAL COMPOSITES

A study was conducted on the modification of polymer-mineral composites based on secondary polyolefins from landfills and the addition of sand in the form of metallurgical waste. The possibility of using blast furnace sludge and dried blast furnace sludge as a partial and complete replacement for sand with a fixed ratio of polymer matrix and mineral filler was considered. A mixture of high- and low-pressure polyethylene was used as the polymer matrix. The features of the processing technology, including the stages of plasticization, granulation, re-homogenization and subsequent pressing, are considered. This ensured a more uniform distribution of the mineral phase in the volume of the composite. The effect of the ratio of sand and slag-slurry mixture on the compressive strength of the samples was evaluated. It was found that with an increase in the proportion of metallurgical components in the filler, the maximum compressive stress increases from 25.21 to 28.87 MPa. The obtained result indicates the positive effect of the slag-slurry mixture on the strength properties of the composite under the studied conditions. It is shown that blast furnace slag and sludge can be considered not only as a substitute for a part of natural mineral raw materials, but also as a functional mineral phase in the composition of polymer-mineral composites. The data obtained allow us to consider the joint use of secondary polyolefins and metallurgical waste as one of the promising areas for the disposal of industrial and household waste. The results confirm the expediency of further studies of such composites in relation to the production of oil- and gasoline-resistant plates and road surface elements that do not carry structural loads.

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