Abstract
The generation of enormous volumes of mine-tailing waste is standard practice in the mining industry. Large quantities of these tailings are also sources of kaolinite-rich materials that accumulate in slag heaps, causing significant environmental degradation and visual impacts on the landscape. The consequences of coal refuse dumped in slagheaps calls for the study of eco-innovative solutions and the assessment of waste types. Moreover, the environmental benefits of reusing large amounts of contaminated waste are also evident. Hence, the objective of this investigation is to expand current knowledge of new siliceous-aluminium minerals and their pozzolanic activity. Four raw tailing samples are characterized to determine their chemical (by ICP/MS analysis), morphological (by SEM/EDX analysis), and mineralogical (by XRD analysis) compositions prior to their thermal activation that transforms the inert wastes at various temperatures into materials with cementitious properties. The results of XRD analysis following activation confirmed that the kaolinite content is fully transformed into metakaolinite. The coal refuse samples presented sufficiently reliable levels of pozzolanic activity for use as additives in industrial cements.
Highlights
Material and energetic recycling of raw materials found in by-products is a priority line of action in industrial sectors
The aforementioned samples were subjected to different thermal activation conditions for the transformation of inert waste into materials with cementitious properties
Given that the phyllosilicates are responsible for the pozzolanic activity, a decisive property in the use of pozzolan materials is found in the very fine-grade samples with the highest content of micas and kaolinite (48%), as opposed to the coal refuse with a lower content of those minerals (24%)
Summary
Material and energetic recycling of raw materials found in by-products is a priority line of action in industrial sectors. The search for strategies that promote large-scale rotation of industrial waste in productive cycles has evolved into a central economic activity. The coal tailings containing an accumulation of materials that provoke significant environmental contamination mines undergo natural weathering in open-air storage for lengthy periods [27]. Weathering processes such as washing in water and spontaneous combustion of slag heaps pose significant environmental problems. The objective of this investigation is to expand current knowledge of new siliceous-aluminium minerals and their pozzolanic activity as part of a preliminary study on their use as pozzolanic additives in the manufacture of cement systems, at the lowest possible cost, from the waste from coal mining
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
