Nanometer-sized hematite was prepared via a two-step process. In the first step, FeSO₄·7H₂O was oxidized to Fe₂(SO₄)₃ by oxygen in an acidic solution. In the second step, the Fe₂(SO₄)₃ was reduced to nanosize hematite with sulfur vapor at 550 °C. The hematite has good thermal stability up to 500 °C and good colloid stability in water-based paint. Its properties satisfy the requirements of the international standard ISO 1248-A-I-1-a for an iron oxide red pigment. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

For both the waste treatment of large quantities of blast furnace (BF) slag and carbon dioxide (CO₂) that are discharged in ironworks, mineral carbonation by BF slag was proposed in this decade. However, it has not been widely used due to its high energy consumption and low production efficiency. In this study, a microwave roasting method was employed to mineralize CO₂ with BF slag, and the process parameters for the sulfation and energy consumption were investigated. A mixture of BF slag and recyclable ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄] (mass ratio, 1 : 2) was roasted in a microwave tube furnace, and then leached with distilled water at a solid : liquid ratio of 1 : 3 (g mL^-1). Under the optimized experiment conditions (T = 340 °C, holding time = 2 min), the best sulfation ratios of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), and titanium (Ti) were 93.3%, 98.3%, 97.5%, and 80.4%, respectively. Compared with traditional roasting, the production efficiency of this process was more than 10 times higher, and the energy consumption for mineralizing 1 kg of CO₂ could be reduced by 40.2% after simulation with Aspen Plus v8.8. Moreover, 236.1 kg of CO₂ could be mineralized by one ton of BF slag, and a series of by-products with economic value could also be obtained. The proposed process offers an energy-efficient method with high productivity and good economy for industrial waste treatment and CO₂ storage.

To improve the boron-removal efficiency of metallurgical-grade silicon by increasing the reaction rate, a combined method with the 30 mol pct CaO-23.3 mol pct SiO₂-46.7 mol pct CaCl₂ slag treatment and ammonia injection at 1723 K to 1823 K was proposed. For 1 hour and at 1823 K, the maximum removal efficiency of boron was 98 pct, and the final boron concentration in silicon decreased to 1.5 ppmw by the present method without the introduction of the iron catalyst. A kinetic model was also established to clarify the reaction mechanism and rate-limiting steps of this complicated boron-removal process. In this model, the rate-limiting step is the mass transfer of boron oxide at the interface between the slag and silicon phase.