Transforming industrial byproduct to eco-friendly functional material: Ground-granulated blast furnace slag reinforced paper for renewable energy storage

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2024-12, Vol.954, p.176616, Article 176616
• Main Authors: Gencel, Osman, Musatat, Ahmad Badreddin, Demir, Ahmet, Tozluoğlu, Ayhan, Tutuş, Ahmet, Kıllı, Ufuk, Fidan, Hakan, Kosovalı Cavuş, Fatma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electrical and optical behavior; Ground-granulated blast-furnace slag; Recycling; Sustainability
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176616

This study pioneered an eco-friendly approach for reutilizing Ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) in paper production. This investigation is the first study focusing on the usage of paper production that presents both a new usage area of GGBFS and also a new sight. So, it can contribute to save the trees. Also, GGBFS gains economical value in paper production. 15–25 % integrated slag led to markedly enhanced brightness, density and smoothness accompanied by only minor mechanical strength decreases versus pure pulp. Significantly, the electrical analysis revealed a higher conductivity at higher frequency region reaching almost S value near to 1 which might be a good choice for electromagnetic shielding, thus; higher conductivity with increasing slag contents from pure paper's 10−11 S/cm up to 10−6 S/cm for 25 % addition which confirms the modified paper's usefulness as conductive slag agent. Although the higher addition of GGBFS has led to rising in relaxation time basically from 1.77e−4 to 2.95e−3 and based on Debye relaxation, the rising time in relaxation which was observed after the addition of GGBFS reveals better polarizability values 0.29–0.35 compared to control sample 0.26 by which both longer relaxation time and higher polarizability contribute to the ability of energy storage of modified papers. The conductive characteristics and improved qualities demonstrate these recyclable slag-modified papers present unique opportunities for emerging flexible, eco-friendly electronics, capacitors, electromagnetic shielding, and renewable energy storage applications. Overall, novel integration and characterization of slag waste for enhanced sustainable paper products pioneers an unexplored territory. [Display omitted] •Ground-granulated blast furnace slag waste was used in paper production.•Improving paper's optical, electrical properties, minor strength losses after modifying•Rising relaxation times, polarizability signifying boosted energy storage capability•Slag addition reduced porosity and smoothed surfaces upon infusion between fibers.•Flexibility, and conductivity of studied paper emerging for various energy fields