Abstract
This study addresses the issues of toxicity and latent-heat waste associated with high-carbon ferrochrome slag (HCFS). The crystallisation behaviour of HCFS is optimised through controlled cooling, resulting in detoxified and stabilised wear-resistant ceramics. Crystallisation experiments confirm that spinel and olivine phases primarily form within the temperature range of 1473–1673 K, with chromium (Cr) co‑precipitating into the spinel structure. Kinetic study of spinel crystallisation reveals Ea of 93 kJ/mol, indicating that the spinel phase readily grows during cooling. By optimising the cooling profile, the combined fraction of spinel and olivine phases is maximised to 82%, leading to the formation of high‑quality wear‑resistant ceramics. These ceramics exhibit a compressive strength of 347 ± 43 MPa, along with total leachable Cr and Cr6 + concentrations of 7.12 and 1.33 mg/L, respectively. Overall, this study demonstrates an innovative path that simultaneously utilises slag and its latent heat, achieves effective Cr detoxification through controlled crystallisation.