This study aimed to develop sustainable supersulfated cement (SSC) comprising ferronickel slag (FNS), desulfurized gypsum, carbide slag, and a small amount of Portland cement (PC). A two-stage optimization approach considering mechanical strength, volume stability, durability, and sustainability was employed to screen the mixture proportions of low-clinker FNS-based SSC. Orthogonal experiments were firstly conducted to investigate the effects of PC, carbide slag, and desulfurized gypsum contents on the mechanical properties of SSC mortar. Range analysis revealed that carbide slag exerted the most significant impact on early-age mechanical strength, while desulfurized gypsum plays an increasingly important role in late-age strength development. Subsequently, a single-factor test was applied to determine the optimal carbide slag content in FNS-based SSC. The results demonstrated that with the incorporation of 4% carbide slag, the SSC mortar achieved the 3-day and 28-day compressive strengths of 15.88 and 42.5 MPa, with relatively low volumetric expansion. The screened mixture proportions also satisfied the requirements for strength class 42.5 SSC according to both Chinese and British standards. A life cycle assessment further indicated that its carbon emission was approximately 46.91% lower than that of conventional PC. This research provided key technical and data support for the synergistic utilization of multi-source solid wastes in producing low-carbon cementless binder.
(89712) et al. (Sat,) studied this question.