Study on the Carbonation Behavior of Steel Slag in the SiC-K

The steel industry is currently grappling with the dual environmental challenges of massive steel slag accumulation and carbon emissions. To address the limitations of traditional carbonation processes-namely slow reaction kinetics and insufficient mechanical properties-this study proposes a novel rapid carbonation enhancement method coupling microwave thermal field intensification, silicon carbide (SiC) physical absorption, and potassium silicate chemical activation. The effects of microwave heating parameters on the performance of carbonated steel slag blocks were systematically investigated. The results indicate a significant synergistic effect between the microwave thermal effect and the alkali-activated system. Under the conditions of a 0.14 liquid-to-solid ratio and microwave heating at 90 °C for 45 min, the compressive strength reached a peak of 48.82 MPa (a 44.7% increase over the conventional treatment group). Microstructural characterization revealed the reinforcement mechanism: the introduction of SiC and potassium silicate solution (K