Proceedings of Indian Geotechnical Conference

December 15-17,2011, Kochi (Paper No.H-212)

A REVIEW ON UTILIZATION OF COPPER SLAG IN GEOTECHNICAL APPLICATIONS

C. Lavanya, Asst.Prof, GRIET, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA-500090, lavanya.cc@gmail.com

A. Sreerama Rao, Principal, VSLECW, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA-533461, srajjarapu@yahoo.com
N. Darga Kumar, Asst.Prof, JNTUH, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA-500085, ndkumar@jntuh.ac.in

ABSTRACT: Use of waste materials in road construction has been in vogue in India for quite sometime. This is
particularly necessitated by the problems of disposal associated with it. Otherwise, these materials would cause problems to
the environment. Copper slag is one of the waste materials that are being used extensively in the civil engineering
construction industry. Copper producing units in India leave thousands of tonnes of copper slag as waste every day. Large
quantities of the accumulated slag is dumped and left on costly land, causing wastage of good cultivable land. Based on
U.S. environmental protection agency regulations, governing solid waste characteristics, copper slag can be classified as a
non-hazardous material. Granulated copper slag is more porous and, therefore, has particle size equal to that of coarse sand.
In this paper, a review of the previous research studies carried out by various researchers on utilization of copper slag in
geotechnical applications is discussed and presented.

INTRODUCTION problematic soils for use in highway embankments, sub-

Copper is one of the basic chemical elements which is a grades and sub-bases. Also, by mixing it with fly ash, it
soft and ductile metal, known for its high thermal and becomes suitable for embankment fill material. Slag, when
electrical conductivity and has a reddish-orange surface in mixed with fly ash and lime, develops pozzolanic reactions
its pure state. It is commonly used in electrical, construction [7]. Fly ash has been widely accepted as embankment and
and transportation industries. Pure copper is rarely found in structural fill material [8, 9]. Copper slag mixed with fly
nature, but is usually combined with other chemicals in the ash and local soils (available near Delhi) in different
form of copper ores. proportions showed effective results with the suitability in
embankment, sub base and base of a road pavement [10].
The process of extracting copper from copper ore varies
according to the type of ore and the desired purity of the Comparison of values shows that the behaviour of copper
final product. Each process consists of several steps in slag is similar to that of medium sands and that it can be
which unwanted materials are physically or chemically used as a construction material in place of sands, such as
removed, and the concentration of copper is progressively backfill of retaining walls and landfill for the construction
increased. of shallow foundations. Copper slag has high angularity and
friction angle (up to 520) of aggregates contribute to the
Once the waste materials have been physically removed stability and load bearing capacity. Also copper slag
from the ore, the remaining copper concentrate must aggregates tend to be free draining and are not frost-
undergo several chemical reactions to remove the iron and susceptible. Copper slag can be used as an alternative
sulphur. This process is called smelting. The recovery of aggregate in bituminous mixes [11]. Mroueh et al [12]
sulphuric acid from the copper smelting process not only carried out life-cycle analysis for the use of industrial waste
provides a profitable byproduct, but also significantly slag in road and earth constructions which yielded effective
reduces the air pollution caused by the furnace exhaust. conclusions for the reuse of waste by-products.
Copper slag (CS) is a waste product which comes out from
the smelting process. Also, other than geotechnical applications the effect of
copper slag can be even seen effectively by replacing a part
It has been estimated that the production of one tonne of of the cement content in concrete. Copper Slag can also be
blister copper generates 2.2 tonnes of slag, then if world utilized as fine aggregate in cement concrete. The study
smelter copper production was 15,900,000 metric tonnes as conducted by CRRI, New Delhi [10,13] showed that fine
of Nov 2010, about 34,980,000 metric tonnes of slag was sand with slag up to 40 percent can be used as fine
generated in the world (Copper Statistics, U.S. Geological aggregate in pavement quality concrete as well as in dry
Survey). Metal industry slag, mine stone and mining waste lean concrete. Also, Central Electro Chemical Research
are generally suitable for recycling or reuse and the use of Institute [14] studied the efficacy of blended CS with
these inorganic wastes as alternative materials in building, concrete and showed that the CS can be used as a fine
road and geotechnical applications [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. aggregate in concrete mix. Transportation Research Board
of Washington (TRBW) [15] also investigated the use of
Copper slag, upon mixing with soil, can be used as an CS as fine aggregate in concrete and found that the mortar
effective stabilizing agent for the improvement of

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C.Lavanya, Dr.A.Sreerama Rao & Dr.N.Darga Kumar

strength ratio with cement, slag and water of 1:2:0.55 has specifications [22] it was observed that 30% of sand size
higher strength properties. fine aggregates and 4% of silt size materials are required to
arrive at the desired gradation. As copper slag and fly ash
Copper slag can be used as fine aggregate in concrete are sand and silt size materials respectively, they can be
describing the strength, setting time and durability of mixed in different proportions to get the specified gradation
concrete mixtures made with copper slag [16, 17]. Also, up for Wet Mix Macadam. Also in the bituminous macadam,
to 15% by weight of copper slag was used as Portland CS can be used as a base course layer below the wearing
cement replacement together with up to 1.5% of hydrated course [23].
lime as an activator to pozolanic reactions and the results
indicate that there is an increase in the compressive strength Effect of CS on Plasticity Index
for up to 90 days of hydration [18, 19, 20]. Copper slag, when mixed with locally available soil in a
proportion of 30% CS and 70% soil, the plasticity index of
The siliceous and silica-aluminous substances available in the soil was reduced by 40% [24]. Copper slag with fly ash
copper slag are considered pozzolanic; they react and local soil (available near Delhi) mixes were found to be
chemically with calcium hydroxide in presence of water at non-plastic in nature [10]. Decrease in plasticity index
normal temperature to form cementitious products in the shows that the copper slag when mixed with soil and the
form of a gel. Therefore, if lime or cement is added to additives like fly ash and cement reacts on hydration and is
copper slag, the calcium present in it will react with the considered to be pozzolanic.
alumina and silica present in the latter, to form calcium-
alumina-silicates which are cementitious products. Effect of CS on Free Swell Index
Free swell Index decreases from 122% to 70% for the local
TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF COPPER SLAG soil (available at Anna nagar, Chennai) when mixed with
30% of CS with the addition of 2% cement [25]. There is a
Table 1 Chemical Composition of Copper Slag considerable reduction in the free swell index with copper
Property (% wt) slag when mixed with local soil (available at Anna nagar,
Iron Oxide – Fe2O3 42 – 48 Chennai) due to the coarse fraction present in it. Copper
Silica – SiO2 26- 30 slag can be used in controlling the swelling properties of
Aluminium Oxide – Al2O3 1–3 expansive clays. The reduction in free swell index was
Calcium Oxide – CaO 1.0– 2.0 observed to be 70% to 80% when solid wastes like fly ash,
Magnesium Oxide – MgO 0.8– 1.5 quarry dust and marble powder were used in expansive
(Ref. Birla Copper Unit, Hindalco’s Industries Ltd, Dahej, soils [26].
Gujarat, India)
Effect of CS on Compaction Properties
Table 2 Physical Properties of Copper Slag Maximum dry density of the copper slag and fly ash were
Property Analysis observed to be 26 kN/m3 and 11kN/m3. The soil mixed with
Hardness, Moh’s Scale 6–7 CS and fly ash showed increased MDD and decreased
Specific Gravity 3.51 OMC [10]. Voids of Coarser particles are filled by the finer
Plasticity Index Non-Plastic particles and the unit weight increases as a result causing an
Swelling Index Non-Swelling increase in the maximum dry density and a decrease in the
Granule Shape Angular, optimum moisture content which can give effective results
Sharp edges, for the sub-grade and sub-base applications. The soils
Multifaceted treated with Portland cement showed that the maximum dry
Grain Size Analysis density decreased by 1% and optimum moisture content
Gravel (%) 1.00 increased by 0.6%. When the same soil was mixed with
Sand (%) 98.90 copper slag and 2% cement, it showed an increase in MDD
Silt + Clay (%) 0.05 and a decrease in OMC [27].
(Ref. Birla Copper Unit, Hindalco’s Industries Ltd, Dahej,
Gujarat, India) Effect of CS on California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
CBR test results reviewed from the published data on
REVIEW OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION copper slag-treated soil showed good increase in the CBR
value with an increase in the copper slag content for all mix
Grain Size Distribution proportions. The CBR values of cement mixed soil with
The grain size distribution of Copper Slag is essentially a copper slag are 3 to 7 fold higher than that of the soil with
coarse grained material with around more than 95% sand copper slag waste without the presence of the Portland
size particles. And it is classified as poorly graded sand as cement. Soaked CBR with 2% addition of cement has a
per the Indian Standard Classification. Das et al [10, 21] drastic increase in the CBR value [25]. There is a reduction
classified Copper slag as well graded sand. As per the in swelling characteristics and increase in density results in
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) an increase in the CBR values. Increase in CBR values is

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essential in poor sub-grade soils and for the application in 5. Vazquez, E., Roca, A., Lopez-soler, A., Fernandez-
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