Experimental Characterization EAF Slag under Thermal Cycling as Sensible Thermal Energy Storage Material

The influence of thermal cycling on EAF-Slag, as byproduct of steel and iron industry, thermophysical properties such as heat capacity as well as the structure and morphology, is investigated in this work. The aim was to assess the TESM's stability and highlight its suitability for thermal energy storage at high temperatures. The characteristics of cycled EAF slag were compared to those of raw black slag. The findings revealed that black slag is a stable filler material that can be used to store thermal energy. More importantly, the thermal cycling impacts positively the storage material, i.e., the material becomes more stable. Less that 1% of mass loss is reported after thermal cycling. Nevertheless, some cracks are perceived in the cycled material. As result, it has been concluded that these cracks are principally caused by the heating rate. In order to overcome this problem, one can recommend a slow heating rate <2 degrees C/min particularly for the first heating/cooling cycle.