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SLN Ferronickel Slag is a proven construction material with more than 80 years of experience in New Caledonia
FNS: a promisingconstruction materialfor the Pacific Region
Le
L e N i c k e l – S L N
• Stable and homogeneous material over the years: ~ 2 millions tonnes/year
• Stock of 25 millions tonnes available 1,200 nautical miles from NSW
• No processing required for qualification as sand material (O/4)
• No particular risk identified as concrete aggregate (nil free magnesia, no sign of ASR nor DEF in aged concrete)
• No health risk (nil crystalline silica)
• Low sulfate and Chloride content
• FNS helps to reduce your carbon footprint.
53 374
136 years
2 millions
Tonnes of nickel produced in 2015SLN is the world’s largest
ferronickel supplier.
SLN Le Nickel has beenestablished in New Caledonia for
Tonnes of slag produced each year
SLN complies fully with
Wide range of uses
ISO 9001& ISO 14 001
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• Based in New Caledonia, the SLN is now ready to bring to the Pacific market a promising and sustainable material for the construction industry.
• Ferronickel Slag is a by-product of the Ferronickel produced by SLN (leading world producer) at its plant in Noumea for the last 136 years.
• FNS is obtained using a proven method ensuring a building material of high quality and homogeneity.
• “Le SLAND” is a new competitive and environmentally friendly material for the construction.
LE SLAND : A NEW CONSTRUCTION MATERIALCORRESPONDING TO AUSTRALIAN AND EUROPEAN STANDARDS
Physical description 4
Product qualification to European standard 5
A dual use of the SLN Ferronickel slag 7
Product qualification to Australian standard 5
Project timeline 6
Sand replacement 7
Supplementary cementitious material 10
Le SLAND, supporting greenhouse gas emissions reduction
«Le SLAND» is an industrial byproduct. This material can either be part of a supplementary cementitious material or replace natural sand in construction industry. That’s why SLN Ferronickel Slag is an environmental friendly construction material.By using «Le SLAND» your company will reduce its Greenhouse gas emissions (using a by product instead of sand or SCM, less transport emissions by ship than by trucks from a career etc).
CONTACT
Phone : + 687 24 55 55
www.sln.nc
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60,00
50,00
40,00
30,00
20,00
10,00
0,00
Si02
Sample P1
Sample S1
Sample S5
Sample S6
MgO Fe203
%%%
11
1112
12
3333
3333
53
5352
52
(3) Major and minor components of slag
Physical description
(2)
Screen Xf (%) Tolérance(%)0,063 0,6 210,125 10,25 3 230,5 101 34 242 77 -4 99 -
5,6 100 -8 100 -
Nombre d'analyses
mm
1
SiO2 53,30% Al2O3 2,30%MgO 32,90% MnO 0,50%
Fe2O3 10,90% CaO 0,20%
Résultat de production
Pass
ing
(%)
Elements majeurs et mineurs :
0102030405060708090
100
0,06
3
0,12
5
0,25 0,5 1 2 4
5,6 8
Screen Xf (%) Tolérance(%)0,063 0,6 210,125 10,25 3 230,5 101 34 242 77 -4 99 -
5,6 100 -8 100 -
Nombre d'analyses
mm
1
SiO2 53,30% Al2O3 2,30%MgO 32,90% MnO 0,50%
Fe2O3 10,90% CaO 0,20%
Résultat de production
Pass
ing
(%)
Elements majeurs et mineurs :
0102030405060708090
100
0,06
3
0,12
5
0,25 0,5 1 2 4
5,6 8
Extremely high
homogeneity over time
A by-product of nickel smelting (slag granulated with seawater), SLN Ferronickel SLAG (FNS) is a raw material:• production around 2 million tonnes/year• existing stockpile: 25 million tonnes
• Extremely clean sand (methylene blue test)
• Partical size distribution
• Chemical analysis• Low sulphate and chloride content• Characteristics and properties of a very homogeneous slag (4 samples - from several months to several decades)
Valeur de bleu et d’équivalent de sables.(1)
Sample
No washing required
(Note: 1-2-3 : CERIB, France)
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Physical description
SiO2 MgO FeO Al2O3 Cr2O3 CaO Mn Ni Co TotalGlass 1 55,31 32,43 8,96 2,81 0,95 0,14 0,31 0,033 0,008 100Glass 2 55,19 32,05 8,83 2,84 0,91 0,16 0,32 0,037 0,009 100Glass 3 58,89 18,00 15,61 4,94 1,82 0,41 0,69 0,000 0,009 100
Forsterite 50,32 41,18 6,38 1,31 0,58 0,05 0,20 0,071 0,004 100Enstatite 55,76 31,49 8,85 3,05 0,90 0,16 0,31 0,021 0,012 100
Si Mg Fe Al Cr Ca Mn Ni Co TotalFerroNickel 0,27 0,34 37,72 0,06 0,08 0,00 0,02 59,78 0,89 100(4)
(Note: 4 : ERAMET Research, France)
• Mineralurgical phases analysis• FNS is mainly made of vitrified magnesium silicate, Forsterite ((Mg,Fe)2SiO4) and Enstatite ((Mg,Fe)SiO3)• FNS contain nil free magnesia (no concrete expansion due to FNS)• FNS contain nil crystalline silica (quartz, tridymite, cristoballite)
Crystalline phases are limited to Forsterite and
Enstatite.No trace of Periclase
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Product qualification to Australian standard
Product qualification to European standard
One study is conducted by the Department of Civil Engineering at Curtin University, Australia for applications as supplementary cementing material and sand replacement.
Preliminary results show that FNS is adapted to civil work applications according to the petrographic testing performed by SGS Australia.
The second study is developped by the Precast Concrete Industry Study & Research Center (CERIB), France for applications as sand replacement material.Both studies aim to assess the compliance of the new product with Australian and European requirements for different types of applications.
So far, all results are probing and very promising.
(5)
Risk Rating for Application Low Mod HighComments (assuming the sample is indi-cative of overall source rock quality)
Concrete Aggregates • Robust material which may be included as aggregate
Unbound Pavements •Suitable for use with Portland cement as binder for stabilisation in road construc-tion and as pavement material
Rail Ballast • Suitably dense and durable material as coarser slag
Asphalt Aggregate • Very hard and offer potential as non slip hot mix asphalt
FNS is considered
a 0/4 coarse sand without any transformation.
(Note: 5 : CERIB, France)
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Project timeline
At Curtin University, Perth, Dr Prabir Sarker* is working on the qualification of FNS to Australian standard.
(*) Preliminary results presented at the 27th Biennial National Conference of the Concrete Institute of Australia, Melbourne, 30 August – 2 September 2015, pp. 788 – 797.- Rahman, M. A. Sarker, P. K. Shaikh, F. A. (2015). Fresh and early age properties of cement paste and mortars blended with SLN Ferronickel Slag.
www.sln.nc
Tests carried out at CERIB, France, show no trace of ASR nor DEF.
Completion of thesis - Supplementary cementing material with FNS “Le Sland”/Curtin Univ
end of 2016
Completion of CERIB concrete testing (apart from durability testing) beginning of 2017
Concrete qualification by CERIBOctober 2017
Completion of thesis - Sand-FNS “Le Sland”/Curtin Univend of 2017
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Sand replacement
It has been shown in the laboratory and demonstrated during highway and rail construction projects (refer to work by Wang and Thompson 2011 and Eemery 1982) that air-cooled, crushed nickel slag is an excellent aggregate in granular road base, rail ballast, engineered Portland Cement fill and hot mix asphalt. Petrographic Inspection Report – GROUNDWORK plus (environmental management and land use planning consultancy specialising in the quarry, mining and urban development sectors)
Traditional construction use (already used by PAMCO, Sumitomo Metal Mining, Posco Cunico, Falconbridge, Larco): backfilling, concrete aggregates (accropode units, road works, block works or precast walls).
• Traditionnal applications
• Workability
Flow values improved with the increase of FNS up to 50% of sand replacement and then decreased
• Normal consistency of paste • Setting time
Reclaiming land or road works Accropodes Sand for blockwork
Flow value test :A • 100% sand B • 50% FNS and 50%
sand
A B(1)
Flow value of mortar mixesBinder with 30% fly ash and 70% cement Binder with 100% cement
Ratio Water/C is kept constant at 0.47
0 20 40 60 80 100100105110115120125130135140
Substitution rate sand by FNS
%
(2)
Decrease of water content with increase of sand replacement
by FNS
(3)
Ni: Not displayed on technical specifications.
Initial setting time (mn)Final setting time (mn)
Sample ReferenceCEM I
ReferenceCEM II
(4)
(Note: 1,2, 3 : Curtin University, AustraliaNote: 4 : CERIB, France)
A dual use of the SLN Ferronickel slag
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• Relationship of FNS content with compressive strength
Compressive strength increases with sand replacement with an optimum ratio of 50%.
• Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) analysis
From a preliminary analysis, FNS may present risk of ASR in concrete due to the content of flint above 40% (glass component) as per FD P 18-542.Assessment regarding ASR potential of the aggregate has been as well analysed by AS1141.65-2008.
• Image showing three grains of FNS in the concrete mix
Scanning electron microscope observation of a 20 year old accropode unit
(5)
P1 S5 S6
RATIO C/G = 0,5 0,59 0,22 0,44
RATIO C/G = 1,25 0,48 0,18 0,33(6)
(Note: 5 : Curtin University, AustraliaNote: 6, 7 : CERIB, France)
(7)
Sample
Slag 1
Slag 2
Slag 3
No sign of ASRNo sign of DEF
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Supplementary cementitious material
• A NEW PRODUCT developped by the SLN
A hydraulic binder: More than 3 years of ongoing research at Curtin University showing pozzolanic properties.
• Strength activity index of FNS(FNS was ground to a Blaine’s fineness of 500 m2/kg).
Result: Department of Civil Engineering Curtin UniversityActivity index at 28 days is 84% thus above the value required by the ASTM standard (75%).
• Compressive strength of concrete mixes with different percentages of nickel slag replacing cement
Replacing cement with FNS still allows to reach high level of resistance.
• Expansion testLe Chatelier expansion of the mixtures varied from 0,42 to 1 mn, decreasing with the replacement of cement by FNS.
SI No Composition Mean 7 days strength (Mpa)
Mean 28 days strength (Mpa)
Strength activity Index7 days 28 days
1 Control 31 3774% 84%
2 20% slag 23 31(8)
(9)
MPA
Days
Values of expansion are well below 5 mm, which is the limit according to Australian standard.
A Mortar, concrete
(Note:8, 9: Curtin University, Australia)
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Up to 40% of the total cost for mudcrete process are related to the cost of cement.
• Rapid Chloride Permeability Test (RCPT) analysis
Replacement of cement with FNS reduce chloride penetration in concrete.
• Mining backfilling
Where cemented backfilling is used, 10 to 20% of the total operating cost of the mine are related to backfilling. Cement represents up to 75% of the backfill cost.
0 20 40 60 800
0,20,40,60,8
11,2
mm
% cement replacement with FNS
• Mudcrete
(10)
Suitable for harsh
environments
Nil expansionNil free magnesia
TYPEChloride Penetration (Coulomb)
28 Days IonPenetrability 90 Days Ion
PenetrabilityControl 1590 Low 1258 Low
20 FNS 80 C 1520 Low 715 Very Low30 FNS 70 C 1815 Low 958 Very Low40 FNS 60 C 1503 Low 1065 Low40 FNS 10 BS 1120 Low 856 Very Low50 FNS 50 C 1254 Low 713 Very Low65 FNS 35 C 1059 Low 508 Very Low(11)
÷2,5
B Alternative binder
(Note: 10, 11: Curtin University, Australia)
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Japan
Australia
4,371 Miles
1,124 Miles
1,224 Miles
New Zealand
New Caledonia
New Caledonia - Key AdvantagesSLN is a major source of ferronickel slagfor its neighbours in the Pacific Region
French territory
268,767 inhabitants
GDP per capita: $44,442 AUDReal GDP growth rate : + 1.30 %
2015 total exports : $ 1.7 billion AUD2015 ore and nickel metal exports : $1.5 billion AUD 95,276 tonnes (nickel metal) 5.5 million tonnes (nickel ore)
New Caledonia’s currency is pegged to the Euro Major global businesses in New Caledonia :
www.cci.nc
For more information :
www.adecal.nc
www.sln.nc
Le
L e N i c k e l – S L N