Ternary Binder Research Articles

Cement-Free Geopolymer Paste: An Eco-Friendly Adhesive Agent for Concrete and Masonry Repairs

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using geopolymer paste (GP) as an adhesive agent for (i) anchoring steel bars in concrete substrates, (ii) repairing concrete, and (iii) repairing limestone and granite masonry blocks commonly found in historic buildings. In this investigation, seven cement-free GP mixes were developed with different combinations of binder materials (slag, silica fume, and metakaolin). The mechanical properties, adhesive performance, and production cost of the developed GP mixes were compared to those of a commercially epoxy adhesive mortar (EAM). The results obtained from this study indicated that the use of GPs enhanced the bonding between steel bars and concrete substrates, achieving bonding strengths that were 19.7% to 49.2% higher than those of control specimens with steel bars directly installed during casting. In concrete repairs, the GPs were able to restore about 60.6% to 87.9% of the original capacity of the control beams. Furthermore, GPs exhibited a promising performance in repairing limestone and granite masonry blocks, highlighting their potential suitability for masonry structures. The best adhesive performance was observed when a ternary binder material system consisting of 70% slag, 20% metakaolin and 10% silica fume was used. This combination, compared to the investigated EAM, showed comparable adhesive properties at a significantly low cost, indicating the viability of GPs as a cost-effective, eco-friendly adhesive agent.

Improving the Performance of Mortar under Carbonization Curing by Adjusting the Composition of Ternary Binders

As the most widely used building material, cement has attracted the attention of scholars because of its large carbon emission. To alleviate the problems of carbon emission and limited resource use caused by cement production, this study focuses on the performance of mortar after carbonization curing by regulating the composition of ternary binders. Testing involved mechanical parameters, carbon shrinkage, water absorption, hydration product, microstructure, adsorption of carbon dioxide, calcium carbonate content, and carbonization degree of mortar, as well as comparisons with the effect of calcium carbide slag and sintered red mud. We carried out several studies which demonstrated that carbonization curing and adjusting the content of calcium carbide slag and sintered red mud were beneficial to improve the mechanical properties, peak load displacement, slope, elastic energy, plastic energy, carbon shrinkage, carbon dioxide adsorption, calcium carbonate content, and carbonization degree of mortar, while the addition of calcium carbide slag and sintered red mud increased the water absorption of mortar, and the greater the dosage, the greater the water absorption. Meanwhile, adding 25%–50% calcium carbide slag and sintered red mud still had negative effects on the mechanical properties of mortar. But carbonation curing and the addition of calcium carbide slag and sintered red mud could promote the hydration reaction and consume calcium hydroxide formed by hydration to form calcium carbonate. When the dosage was 50%, the carbon dioxide adsorption capacity, calcium carbonate content, and carbonization degree of calcium carbide slag mortar were higher than those of sintered red mud mortar, which increased by 29.56%, 102.73%, and 28.84%, respectively. By comparison, calcium carbide slag and sintered red mud still showed superior carbon sequestration capacity, which was higher than fly ash and Bayer red mud. From the experiment, we came to realize that adjusting the composition of cementitious materials could realize the carbon sequestration of cement-based materials and promote the road toward low-carbon sustainable development of cement.

Strength, durability, and heat development characteristics of high-performance concrete containing ground coal bottom ash with low and high calcium

Currently, the availability of fly ash has reduced continuously due to the shutdowns of coal-fired power generating plant as climate change concerns have increased. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to find an alternative pozzolan by examining the employment of low- and high-calcium oxide (CaO) ground bottom ash which has been abandoned rather using in concrete production. The bottom ashes were blended with fly ash as a partial substitution of cement (OPC) by observing their generic effects on the compressive strength, cumulative heat generation, chloride ion penetration, and water sorptivity of high-performance concrete. The samples of bottom ash were prepared by oven drying, particle size cutting, and grinding to enhance the reactivity and consistency. High-performance concretes were made at a water-to-binder (W/B) ratio of 0.27 and partial replacement of OPC up to 50 % by weight of the binder. The results indicated that the concretes with 28-day compressive strengths of 101.0 and 109.0 MPa (21.6 % and 28.2 % stronger than OPC concrete) were produced with 50 wt% OPC replacement with high- and low-calcium ground coal bottom ashes (HCBA and LCBA), respectively. These findings suggest that HCBA and LCBA have high pozzolanic reactivity and high possibility for utilization as pozzolan or supplementary cementitious materials in concrete. In addition, the binary blended binders (OPC-HCBA and OPC-LCBA) and ternary blended binders (OPC-HCBA-FA and OPC-LCBA-FA) produced had better chloride ion penetration resistance, less cumulative heat evolution, and lower water sorptivity than 100 % OPC as a cementitious material. Partial OPC replacement by HCBA and LCBA improved the chloride ion penetrability class of OPC concrete from “very low” to “negligible.” The cumulative heat generation due to the pozzolanic reaction of HCBA and LCBA from the partial replacement of OPC up to 50 % reduced 30–44 % relative to the OPC-based mixture throughout during 72 hours after mixing. The CaO content strongly influenced early compressive strength development and cumulative heat evolution but had less impact on chloride ion penetration resistance and water sorptivity.

Effect of CSH-PCE nanocomposites on early hydration of the ternary binder containing Portland cement, limestone, and calcined coal gangue

Effect of CSH-PCE nanocomposites on early hydration of the ternary binder containing Portland cement, limestone, and calcined coal gangue

Performance of high-strength green strain-hardening cementitious composites incorporating CSA/CAC cements and GGBS

Strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) possess crack control and durability properties. In the pursuit of reducing CO2 emissions and addressing potential issues of slow strength development for SHCCs with pozzolans, the objective of this study was to develop high-strength green SHCCs (HSG-SHCCs) that exhibit improved early strength, drying shrinkage, and environmental friendliness. A ternary binder system was proposed, comprising of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and either calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) or calcium aluminate cement (CAC). The fresh, mechanical, and durability properties of the proposed HSG-SHCCs were experimentally investigated. Additionally, the microstructures and chemical phases of the developed CSA/CAC-GGBS-OPC ternary binder system were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed that the developed HSG-SHCCs demonstrated 6-hour and 28-day strengths of up to 11 MPa and 110 MPa, respectively. The CSA/CAC-based ternary binder system also exhibited enhanced durability and improved drying shrinkage. However, the inclusion of CSA and CAC in HSG-SHCCs could lead to a reduction in tensile performance, specifically in strain capacity. The main hydration products of the CSA/CAC-GGBS-OPC ternary binder system were C-S-H, ettringite, gibbsite, and calcium hydrate. In addition to the fresh, mechanical, and durability properties, the environmental impact of the developed HSG-SHCCs was also assessed. The results indicated that a 30 % replacement of OPC with CSA cement in the HSG-SHCC mix notably improved the trade-off among CO2 emissions, compressive strength, and tensile cracking resistance.

Utilization of dumped coal ash from power-plant landfills for carbon footprint reduction in sustainable pavement base construction

This study presents a novel methodology for repurposing dumped coal ash (DCA) from power plant landfills, aiming to reduce waste and lower carbon footprint of pavement base construction. Three DCAs were modified into two distinct particle groups through sieving: fine particles for cement replacement, evaluated against a ternary cementitious binder with fly ash (FA) and flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FG) using Response surface methodology (RSM), and coarse particles for aggregate treatment. The modified DCA mixes and conventional cement-treated base (CTB) mix were compared for environmental and economic benefits through cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment. The results indicate that replacing fine DCA optimized setting time and compressive strength based on its chemical composition, aligning with FA and FG in the RSM process. A 25 % cement replacement with fine DCA balanced the mechanical properties of the modified cement, while a 50 % replacement with coarse DCA effectively improved aggregate properties compared to natural crushed rock. Modified DCA enhanced pavement engineering properties, surpassing the strength and resilience benchmarks of CTB mix. Utilizing optimal modified DCA mixes could reduce carbon footprint and costs by approximately 40 % and 44 %, respectively. Hence, the outcomes highlight challenges and opportunities for modifying DCA for resource conservation and low-carbon transportation infrastructure.

Towards 3D Pore Structure of Porous Gypsum Cement Pozzolan Ternary Binder by Micro-Computed Tomography

A sophisticated characterisation of a porous material structure has been challenging in material science. Three-dimensional (3D) structure analysis allows the evaluation of a material’s homogeneity, pore size distribution and pore wall properties. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) offers a non-destructive test method for material evaluation. This paper characterises a novel ternary binder’s porous structure using micro-CT. Gypsum–cement–pozzolan (GCP) ternary binders are low-carbon footprint binders. Both natural and industrial gypsum were evaluated as a major components of GCP binders. Porous GCP binder was obtained by a foaming admixture, and the bulk density of the material characterised ranged from 387 to 700 kg/m3. Micro-CT results indicate that pores in the range from 0.017 to 3.0 mm can be effectively detected and described for porous GCP binders. The GCP binder structure proved to be dominant by 0.1 to 0.2 mm micropores. For GCP binders produced with natural gypsum, macropores from 2.2 to 2.9 mm are formed, while GCP binders with phosphogypsum possess pores from 0.2 to 0.6 mm. Micro-CT proved to be an effective instrument for characterising the homogeneity and hierarchical pore structure of porous ternary binders.

Stabilizing the Si/C blend anode by a multifunctional ternary composite binder

Si/C blend anodes hold great promise in commercialized high-energy-density (HED) Li-ion batteries but suffer from volumetric effects and electrode integrity deterioration. This study reports a ternary composite binder consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM), and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), which can significantly improve the cyclability of a Si@C/graphite blend anode. A high capacity retention of 92.9% after 100 cycles was achieved in a half cell. Moreover, the ternary binder proves suitable for a very high mass loading (4.9 mAh/g) electrode and is effective in a 2 Ah-level full cell, which delivers an excellent capacity retention of 80.6% after 500 cycles. The beneficial effects were ascribed to the multifunctional groups compatible with the surfaces of both Si and carbon, and the designed rigidness and elasticity which restricts and accommodates the volumetric effects of the Si/C blend anode simultaneously.

Strength and Acid Resistance of Mortar with Different Binders from Palm Oil Fuel Ash, Slag, and Calcium Carbide Residue

This study deals with the use of ground palm oil fuel ash (GPOFA) in combination with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and ground calcium carbide residue (GCR) to produce the binary and ternary binders-based alkali activated mortar. The appropriate content of materials in each binder type was determined as a function of compressive strength. The results revealed that both GPOFA:GGBFS and GPOFA:GCR binders had an optimum blending ratio of 70:30 wt%, while the GPOFA:GGBFS:GCR binder was 55:30:15 wt%. An alkaline catalyst of NaOH was admixed to the best mixture in each binder type to stimulate the mortar's compressive strength. The sulfuric acid (H2SO4) resistance of the mortar in terms of weight change was also examined. The addition of 1M NaOH in both binary and ternary binders could enhance the compressive strength and H2SO4 resistance of the mortar. The highest compressive strength and lowest weight change due to soaking in H2SO4 solution were found in the ternary binder mortar with a 1 M NaOH. The mortar with GCR immersed in H2SO4 solution resulted in an increased weight, which was different from that of the mortar without GCR. The microstructural analysis of the alkali-activated pastes indicated more reaction products than in the case of the pastes without alkali activator. However, a higher concentration of 2 M NaOH resulted in a poor microstructure, which had a negative effect on the compressive strength and H2SO4resistance. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-07-08 Full Text: PDF

Influence of solid waste gypsum and additives on the properties of sulfoaluminate cement-fly ash-gangue ternary binder

Influence of solid waste gypsum and additives on the properties of sulfoaluminate cement-fly ash-gangue ternary binder

Probabilistic deep learning prediction of natural carbonation of low-carbon concrete incorporating SCMs

This study develops a probabilistic neural network (PNN) based on 2165 laboratory data incorporating mixture constituents and environmental conditions parameters to estimate the natural carbonation depth of concrete. The high prediction accuracy and certainty level of the model, achieving a testing R2 of 0.95 and negative log-likelihood of 1.82, enabled performing numerical simulations of carbonation depth and rate evolution of 576 binary and ternary blends for 12 years of exposure under different climatic conditions of two cities, Toronto and Vancouver. Mixtures containing ordinary Portland cement (OPC), fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and limestone calcined clay with water-to-binder ratios of 0.35–0.55, OPC replacement levels of 0–0.6, and binder contents of 350–500 kg/m3 were studied. Results indicated that OPC-GGBFS binary binders and OPC-GGBFS-fly ash ternary binders showed the lowest natural carbonation rates of 1.03–4.78 and 1.10–3.76 mm/year0.5, respectively. The uncertainty quantification of model's predictions can facilitate informed and confident decision-making for designing durable and sustainable concrete mixtures.

Development of Sustainable 3D Printable Ternary Composite

3D printing technology has the potential to reduce construction waste through its controlled manufacturing process and optimized material consumption, making it a promising sustainable construction approach with reduced environmental impact. However, current 3D printed structures often have a high carbon footprint due to the large amounts of fine-grained primary materials used in mortar composites. Most efforts to develop 3D printed structures are associated with concrete and Portland cement-based materials.This research presents an innovative approach for the reuse of gypsum to develop a material suitable for 3D printing, with the goal to industrialize the usage of waste gypsum in civil engineering. The objective of this study is to develop a sustainable gypsum-cement-pozzolanic (GCP) ternary binder composite, incorporating recycled industrial waste gypsum materials such as construction demolition waste gypsum (CDG), along with Portland cement and secondary pozzolanic materials. The GCP ternary composite combines the desired properties of gypsum, such as fast setting time, with those of Portland cement, which offers high final strength. The addition of a pozzolanic component is essential to ensure the chemical stability of this ternary system.As part of this study, ternary composites were designed and tested for their mechanical properties, durability, and suitability for 3D printing. Development and optimization of the ternary composite was carried out as a loop of procedures (Fig.1). Through these optimization procedures, a range of mixtures with necessary properties for 3D printing was found. To ensure sustainability and to assess the environmental impact of the mixtures, life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed.The LCA of GCP composites showed at least 1.5 times lower embodied energy and carbon dioxide emissions compared to Portland cement-based mortars. This is without considering avoided emissions from the end-of-life stage of gypsum waste, as well as higher technical properties that make GCP composites superior to regular cement composites. Considering these factors, GCP composites exhibit even lower emissions and are considered a viable alternative to Portland cement-based mortars.

Effect of zirconia as inorganic binder on molds for precision casting

AbstractSand‐casting molds suffer from surface defects and low strength. An organic–inorganic binder conversion process, wherein an organic binder is converted to an inorganic binder, has been proposed to increase the application temperature of the sand‐casting mold and simplify the manufacturing process for precision casting. However, the usable temperature of the typical SiO2–Na2O binder system is limited to approximately 1000°C owing to the low liquefaction temperature of the compound. The resulting glass phase (Na2SiO3) exhibits low viscosity, and the casting of large objects results in low strength. Therefore, in this study, we propose a SiO2–Na2O–ZrO2 ternary inorganic binder system; the addition of zirconia (ZrO2) into sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) as an inorganic binder was expected to increase the operating temperature of the mold and improve its mechanical properties. The results confirmed that the addition of ZrO2 improved the mechanical properties by preventing the formation of Na2SiO3. In addition, a higher sintering temperature corresponded to smaller and larger amounts of Na2SiO3 and Na2ZrSiO5, respectively, and thus a higher strength. Therefore, we expect our developed ternary inorganic binder system to be highly advantageous for producing molds for high‐temperature and precision casting.

Production of low-CO2 ternary binder using red sandstone, cement, and granulated blast furnace slag: A comprehensive performance analysis

Red sandstone is rich in reserves, and using it as a mineral admixture to partially replace cement can save cement consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This study uses spectral characterization, electron microscopy image analysis, mechanical property testing and other methods to study the fluidity, compressive strength, heat of hydration, carbonation degree, microstructure and thermal damage of composite cement-based materials containing red sandstone and slag. The experiment results showed that in ternary mixed cement, the composite cement mixed with 5% slag and 10% red sandstone shows similar flow properties to cement paste. Moreover, as the mineral content (red sandstone and slag) increases, the dissolution peak of the Al phase appears earlier, and the degree of carbonation increases. Furthermore, the CO2 emissions per unit strength gradually decrease. After 28 days of curing, thermal damage experiments demonstrated that the strength of the sample increases by more than 3.6% when the mineral content is greater than 15% at 200℃. Samples were subjected to 600 °C and 900 °C, and the strength of the red sandstone sample with a content of 15% decreased significantly. Moreover, as the temperature increases to (600 °C and 900 °C), the lattice of CnS becomes more and more ordered.

The Design of a Novel Alkali-Activated Binder for Solidifying Silty Soft Clay and the Study of Its Solidification Mechanism.

In order to overcome the problems of the high economic and environmental costs of a traditional ordinary portland cement-based binder, this study used self-combusted coal gangue (SCCG), granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) and phosphorous slag (PS) to prepare a novel SCCG-GBFS-PS (SGP) ternary alkali-activated binder for solidifying silty soft clay (SC). Firstly, the parameters of the SGP ternary binder were optimized using orthogonal experiments. Then the effects of the SGP ternary binder content (mass ratio of the SGP ternary binder and the SGP-solidified soil), initial water content of SC (mass ratio of SC' water and SC) and types of additives on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the SGP-solidified soil were analyzed. Finally, the hydration products and microstructure of the SGP-solidified soil were analyzed to investigate the solidification mechanism of the SGP ternary binder. The results showed that the optimal mass ratio of GBFS and PS is 2:1, and the optimal alkali activator content (mass ratio of Na2O and the SGP ternary binder) and modulus of alkali activator (molar ratio of SiO2 and Na2O of alkali activator) were 13% and 1.3, respectively. When the SGP ternary binder content was 16% and the initial water content of SC was 35%, the SGP-solidified soil met the requirement of UCS for tertiary cured soil. The incorporation of triethanolamine and polyvinyl alcohol improved the UCS, while the incorporation of Na2SO4 significantly deteriorated the UCS of the SGP-solidified soil. The C-S-H gels and C(N)-A-S-H gels generated by hydration of the SGP-solidified soil were interspersed, interwoven and adhered to each other to form a network-like space structure that played the roles of skeleton, bonding soil particles and filling pores, which improved the macroscopic properties of the SGP-solidified soil. The results of this study provide a reference for the design and development of a solid waste-based binder for solidifying SC.

Investigation of strength and water permeability of sustainable high-performance concrete containing high-volume ground bottom ash blended with fly ash and nano-silica

This investigation focussed on minimizing the Portland cement usage in developing sustainable high-performance concrete (HPC) as low-carbon concrete. High-volume ground bottom ash (GBA) was utilized as cement substitution in combination with fly ash (FA) and nano-silica (NS) for producing HPC with compressive strength of 100 MPa, and various concrete mixes were examined to assess its workability, mechanical performance, water permeability, and carbon emissions. The microstructure of the materials and pastes were also analyzed with X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP). GBA was used to replace Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) at very high levels of cement replacement, ranging from 60 to 80 % by weight of binder. As ternary binders, 10 % fly ash and 2 % nano-silica (NS) by weight of binder were also used to replace GBA. The early-age compressive strength of HPC containing high-volume GBA increased by using 2 % of NS. Incorporating 10 % of FA into HPC reduced the superplasticizer requirement, enhanced workability, and exhibited slightly lower early strength. The compressive strength of HPC containing 58 % GBA, 10 % FA, and 2 % NS could be developed at 90 days was more than 110 MPa. Moreover, the investigation indicated that employing GBA in the mix represents environmental sustainability for the development of high-performance concrete.

Pb2+ Leachability in the Cement-Based Solidified/Stabilized Contaminated Clay Under Saline and Alkaline Environments

ABSTRACT Harsh environments such as saline and alkaline environments will affect solidification/stabilization quality, especially considering the long-term service cycle. To investigate the environmental influence on the leaching behavior of solidified/stabilized soils, the Pb2+ leaching behaviors of cement-stabilized contaminated clay (CSC) and ternary binder (CSG)-stabilized contaminated clay (CSGSC) under the endo/exogenous saline and alkaline attacking environment were discussed. Note that, the ternary CSG binder, consisting of cement, silica fume (SF), and desulfurization gypsum powder (DGP) in a ratio of 1:0.25:0.19, underwent pre-screening based on its unconfined compressive strength (UCS). Scanning electron microscopy was employed to reveal the environment-resisting mechanism. The leaching concentration of Pb2+ in the leachate from CSGSC was lower than that from CSC in both saline and alkaline environments with a same incorporation ratio (15%) to dry soils, indicating CSG’s efficiency. Under the exogenous environment, the Pb2+ cumulative leaching mass from the stabilized clays in saline environment was more than that in deionized water, while that under the endogenous environment was opposite. Microstructure analysis indicated that the SF and DGP in CSG facilitated the formation of calcium silicate hydrate and ettringite, resulting in a denser structure that greatly enhances the physical encapsulation and chemical fixation of Pb2+ cation. At the end, the different mechanism under endo/exogenous attacking environments was attributed to the cation influence on clay minerals and the formation of new substance. These findings provide a guidance for the remediation of contaminated soil in harsh environments.

Recycling of incinerated sewage sludge ash and waste glass powder in alkali-activated slag for sewer rehabilitation

A new era has dawned in the manufacturing of cement-free binders with appropriate mechanical strengths and durability to combat CO2 emissions. However, the assessment of their performance in extreme conditions is ongoing. Here, we attempted to use incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA), a waste product of sewage sludge incineration that contains limited amounts of heavy metals, along with waste glass powder (GP) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), as precursors to produce cement-free binders through alkali-activation. The alkali-activated materials (AAMs) were then subjected to an intensified sewage corrosion test for 6 months. The aim was to utilize the heavy metals in the ISSA as biocides to resist the biogenic acid attack on the AAMs. The experimental results indicated that superior performance was achieved by using a ternary binder prepared with ISSA, GP, and GGBS under biogenic acid simulation. Such enhanced durability can be attributed to the low Ca content in the resulting alkali-activated gels, which also reduced the grain size of gypsum formed and prevented expansion deterioration. Furthermore, the slow release of heavy metals from the AAMs prepared with the ISSA, evidenced by the leaching test results, was able to inhibit microbial growth.

Selection of Optimum Ternary Binder Systems that Enhance the Workability and Durability of Concrete used in Marine Railways

In this study, the improvement of the compressive strength and duradbility of concrete used in marine railways by adding binding agents was investigated. The test speciments used in the study comprised developed product A (DP_A), developed product B (DP_B), Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), admixture A, and admixture B, in the study, the optimum ternary binder systems of the test specimens were identified. An optimum ternary binder system would facilitate the simultaneous enhancement of the durability and workability of concrete used on undersea tunnel linings and bridge structures. The compressive strength of each specimen tested after 16h could easily meet the specified standard target strength (> 3.0_MPa). Moreover, the 7d long term strength of each test specimen exceeded 3.0 MPa. When binders were used, the chloride penetration resistance (DP_A was exceptional)_2.741C (normal) and, 1.490C (low) following-28 and 91days. The surface diffustion coefficient of (DP_B) at 91days 9.12 (× 10-12, m<sup>2</sup>/sec) was higher than that of OPC 9.55 (× 10-12, m<sup>2</sup>/sec). However, the surface diffusion coefficient of (DP_A) was 4.15 (× 10-12, m<sup>2</sup>/sec) which was lower than OPC by approximately 57%, indicating the outstanding durability of DP_A.

Utilization of carbonated alkaline solid wastes in ordinary Portland cement-metakaolin-limestone ternary mixture: Underlying the role of low grade-sustainable calcium carbonate sources

Alkaline solid wastes are widely generated as by-products annually from construction demolition, steel making, and metal refining industries. Consequently, there is high pressure on their disposal and environmental protection. Carbonation treatment of alkaline solid wastes provides a potential way to valorize CO2 and produce low-grade artificial limestone particles. This study investigates the utilization of carbonated alkaline wastes, including recycled cement fines, steel slag, iron recycled steel slag, and magnesium slag in green ternary cement (limestone-metakaolin-cement system) production. The detailed characterization of carbonated alkaline solid wastes and the performance of metakaolin-cement based ternary systems were evaluated. The reaction mechanism of carbonated alkaline wastes in metakaokin-cement based binder is proposed. The results indicated carbonated alkaline solid waste powder containing relatively low calcite (14.4%–50.38%) and negative surface charges. In addition, the amount of reactive Si at Q3 and Q4 were observed. The precipitated calcite on the surface of particles resulted in the deterioration of the workability of ternary mixtures compared to natural limestone. However, the equivalent amount of CO3-AFm phases produced by precipitated calcium carbonate and additional hydrates from the reaction of amorphous silica in carbonated alkaline solid wastes contributed to a comparable mechanical performance (49.5 MPa–50.82 MPa) and compact microstructure of ternary binders. Carbonated alkaline solid wastes can be a sustainable component to replace natural limestone in green ternary cement production.