Vitalii Ponomar

The transition to low - CO 2 steelmaking via hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) processes is increasing the generation of electric arc furnace slags (EAFS), yet their utilization remains limited due to poor hydraulic and pozzolanic reactivity. This study explores the potential of DRI-EAFS as carbon-negative cementitious materials through carbonation-hydration under simulated flue gas conditions (20% CO 2 , 50°C, ambient pressure, 95% relative humidity). High- and low-basicity slags were tested for reactivity, phase evolution, and strength development using selective dissolution, X-ray diffraction–Rietveld refinement, Fourier-transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy–energy-/wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS/WDS) mapping. Both slags exhibited strength gain upon carbonation but followed distinct reaction mechanisms. Low-basicity (LB) slag underwent rapid surface carbonation, forming a calcite-rich shell and achieving ∼ 95 % of its 7-day strength within 24 h. In contrast, high-basicity (HB) slag exhibited a two-step kinetic response: initial fast carbonation, followed by sustained strength development driven by hydration and subsequent carbonation of residual larnite. Aragonite, absent in LB slag, was identified only in HB slag, likely stabilized through interaction with calcium silicate (C─S─H) gels. Microstructural analyses revealed thin surface layers in LB slag versus multizonal reaction rims with multiple C─S─H gel types in HB slag. These results highlight slag basicity as a key factor controlling carbonation pathways and binder performance, supporting the valorization of EAFS under flue gas curing as a practical route to low-energy, CO 2 -sequestering construction materials.

Recently, there has been a substantial surge in the availability of web services offering access to geological, geochemical, crystallographic, and mineralogical data. Embracing this data-rich environment, mineralogy.rocks emerges as a pioneering outreach project, poised to harness the vast potential embedded in this information reservoir. Focused on extracting valuable insights, the project seeks to leverage the wealth of open-access data and fosters knowledge dissemination by openly sharing the underlying code of its processes under MIT, available on https://github.com/orgs/mineralogy-rocks. Mineralogy.rocks' core developers recently tackled the challenge of establishing relationships between minerals and their associated entities such as synonyms, varieties, and parental groups. Often, these related entries lack distinct properties; synonyms may only have a name and historical context, chemical varieties might differ only in impurity presence, and structural variations may diverge solely in crystal system. Database-wise, all other properties remain identical to the parent mineral. In response, we introduce the concept of Data Inheritance, drawing parallels with Object-Oriented Programming's class inheritance mechanism. This concept permits multiple base classes, enabling a derived class to override methods of its base class or classes, thus allowing objects to encompass diverse and arbitrary data. Applied to a data warehouse dimension, this concept facilitates the retrieval of the actual properties of a related entry defined in the database and the inherited properties not defined for this specific entry but established for the parental mineral. To implement this, we calculate the inheritance chain, representing the chain of relations from the bottom-most child entry to the top-most parental mineral, such as in the case of agate—chalcedony—quartz. The chain, coupled with specific code rules and patterns, enables the retrieval of properties for each entry in the chain, effectively determining which properties are pertinent to the child species. This systematic approach adds precision and clarity to the extraction and utilization of mineralogical data in the context of inherited properties.mineralogy.rocks is dedicated to open science, prioritizing innovation, quality, and public impact in mineralogical research. Our commitment is evident through actions that swiftly share research outcomes and metadata, fostering accessibility and reuse. Embracing open science principles, we contribute to advancing the field with transparent and collaborative practices.This project, No. 3007/01/01, has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation Programme based on a grant agreement under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie scheme No. 945478 and was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (contracts APVV-19-0065 and APVV-22-0092).

In this paper, the properties, mineral magnetic modification, and beneficiation of tailings from the central mining and processing plant in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, have been studied. Samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, microscopy, and magnetization measurements. The beneficiation was conducted using magnetizing roasting with carbon monoxide followed by dry low-intensity magnetic separation. The effects of chemical, mineral, and granulometric composition on the processing of fine tailings of different sizes sampled at different points of the tailings pond were investigated. Additionally, we proposed a new approach for magnetic separation of fine magnetically modified tailings based on the combination of permanent and alternating magnetic fields. Magnetizing roasting resulted in an enhancement in mass magnetization to 11–62 Am²/kg in comparison with initial values of 0.3–1.5 Am²/kg. After magnetic separation, the magnetic concentrates consisted almost completely of magnetite (with the magnetization of 75–88 Am²/kg) and non-magnetic residues contained major quartz. The content of iron in magnetic concentrates reached 68.5–70.2 wt.% and iron recovery 77–96 wt.%, depending on size fraction. We could conclude that the tailings are represented by fine-grained liberated material that can be effectively upgraded using magnetizing roasting and magnetic separation into two valuable products, such as iron concentrate and quartz powder.