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UPCYCLING OF RESIDUE FROM PLASMA GASIFICATION OF WASTE IN THE FORM OF SUPPLEMENTARY CEMENTITOUS MATERIAL
Abstract
Human activities on a global scale are increasingly generating substantial quantities of solid waste. Consequently, in recent years, there has been a significant worldwide initiative to reduce waste production and reuse existing waste, including non-recyclable plastics, industrial waste, sewage sludge, hazardous waste, municipal waste, among others. To ensure environmental quality, further treatment of waste is essential to prevent its accumulation in landfills. For waste materials that cannot be recycled or for which recycling is economically unfeasible, such as municipal solid waste, it is imperative to develop innovative, non-hazardous treatment methods. Plasma gasification and vitrification offer a potential method for managing different types of waste materials. Plasma technology decomposes waste at the molecular level. The products derived from the plasma gasification process include synthesis gas and plasma gasification slag (PGS), which constituted the focus of the research presented. The aim of the research was to upcycle PGS as supplementary cementitious material. The slag underwent milling to achieve a fineness comparable to that of Portland cement (PC) and was utilized as a partial substitute for PC in the formulation of construction mortars. The substitution ratios implemented were 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % by cement mass. For PGS, there was an analysis carried out on its particle size distribution, Blaine fineness, and chemical composition. For the hardened mortars, fundamental physical and mechanical properties were assessed. Based on the strength activity index, PGS slag was categorized as a pozzolanic active material, exhibiting the potential to partially substitute PC in the formulation of construction mortars, thereby producing them with reduced environmental impact and carbon footprint. In addition, the heavy metals (HMs) present in PGS were safely immobilized in the blended mortars studied. The integration of hazardous waste disposal through plasma gasification, coupled with the subsequent upcycling of the resulting plasma gasification slag (PGS), thus constitutes an advanced and eco-efficient technology for circular waste management.
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