Valorizzazione dei sottoprodotti di acciaieria per “Energy & Sustainability Challenge”

Waste valorization and resource reintegration into production cycles are crucial, as evidenced by the growing problems of climate change, natural resource depletion, and the shift from linear to circular economic models. By investigating novel approaches to converting environmental and industrial waste into useful resources through sustainable chemical processes, this study is in line with the tenets of the circular economy. The value-adding of steel slag, a by-product of the steel industry, as a catalyst for hydrogen production, CO2 photoreduction, and green diesel production is at the heart of this work. Novel catalytic systems that exhibit high efficiency and selectivity in hydrodeoxygenation reactions for the synthesis of green diesel have been developed by leveraging the metal oxide composition of the slag. Furthermore, CO2 photoreduction to methanol and formic acid has shown impressive activity in copper-functionalized slag, which may lead to improved solar energy use and process optimization. The study also focuses on the production of biofuels, where functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and clays like hectorite and halloysite have been used as catalysts. Through the processes of transesterification and deoxygenation, respectively, these materials aid in the synthesis of biodiesel and green diesel. Specifically, functionalized MWCNTs make it possible to produce in-situ hydrogen from industrial waste products like formic acid and glycerol, improving process sustainability in the context of a circular economy. In the domain of water remediation, 3D photocatalysis using porous geopolymers impregnated with iron has been developed. These catalysts effectively degrade organic pollutants in wastewater through the photo-Fenton reaction, demonstrating excellent recyclability and minimal leaching. Moreover, the possibility of replacing the metakaolin with tje blast furnace slag in geopolymer synthesis further advances the sustainability of the process by reducing reliance on virgin materials. Through the development of environmentally benign, low-cost, and scalable solutions for energy production and environmental remediation, this study supports the circular economy. Sustainable industrial innovation is made possible by addressing important issues in resource conservation, waste management, and climate change mitigation by the incorporation of waste materials into catalytic processes.