Abstract
In view of creating low-impact materials for the building industry, the fostering of alkali-activated binder gains high importance. Metakaolin can successfully be activated with alkalis at room temperature but the contemporary use of wastes to create mixed binders can further increase the derived environmental benefits. Bottom ashes deriving from the incineration of municipal solid wastes have been tentatively mixed in different amounts to develop matrix with acceptable mechanical properties, still to be cured at room temperature. Moreover, scraps deriving from the production of epoxy/carbon fibre composites are employed as a reinforcing phase. No chemical or physical treatments have been used to modify the epoxy/carbon fibre wastes, apart from size reduction, thus minimizing the overall economic and energy impact of the process. The workability, physical and mechanical properties, microstructure and porosity of the obtained materials are investigated. Up to a 50 weight % amount of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ashes can be mixed with metakaolin. Fibres still embedded in the epoxy matrix disclose a fair interaction with the matrix thus managing to increase flexural strength, toughness and dimensional stability without decreasing the compressive strength.
Highlights
Municipal waste incineration can be used as a waste handling solution
Bottom ashes from municipal solid waste incineration can have an application in these materials because they can be alkali activated when mixed with metakaolin (Lancellotti et al, 2013; Lancellotti et al, 2014; Lancellotti et al, 2015; Silva et al, 2017; Wongsa et al, 2017; Huang et al, 2018)
A room temperature curing has been studied, being the lowest energyconsuming treatment. In case these materials should prove to have acceptable mechanical properties, which is the main scope of the research, they could provide potentially high environmental benefit because they could enable the simultaneous recycling of Material SiO2 Al2O3 Na2O K2O CaO MgO Fe2O3 TiO2 MnO LOI
Summary
Municipal waste incineration can be used as a waste handling solution. This process can recover energy, exploiting the heat of combustion of the organic fraction of the waste and allows the overall reduction of the volume of wastes, decreasing landfilling depletion. Bottom ashes from municipal solid waste incineration can have an application in these materials because they can be alkali activated when mixed with metakaolin (Lancellotti et al, 2013; Lancellotti et al, 2014; Lancellotti et al, 2015; Silva et al, 2017; Wongsa et al, 2017; Huang et al, 2018). A room temperature curing has been studied, being the lowest energyconsuming treatment In case these materials should prove to have acceptable mechanical properties, which is the main scope of the research, they could provide potentially high environmental benefit because they could enable the simultaneous recycling of FIGURE 1 | (A) Full view of composite pre-pregs scraps. Sodium hydroxide reagent grade and sodium silicate solution, a viscous liquid produced for the cement industry with a water content of 57 wt% and a SiO2/Na2O ratio of 3, were used as alkaline activators
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