Don't slag it off

摘要

BUILDING houses and offices out of toxic waste sounds like a pretty eccentric idea. Yet it may become commonplace if Ana Andres of the University of Cantabria in Spain has her way. For Dr Andres and her colleagues suggest, in Industria δ Engineering Chemistry Research, that the humble brick need not be made of pure clay. Instead, up to 30% of its weight could be slag-the toxic gunk left over when steel is made.