This work evaluated the reactivity and leaching potential of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash as supplementary cementitious material (SCM) and precursor for alkali-activated materials (AAM). The chemical composition of the amorphous phase in MSWI bottom ash was found to be in the same range as that of Class F coal fly ash. The reactivity of MSWI bottom ash as SCM and AAM precursor was tested to be much lower than that of blast furnace slag, but similar to that of Class F coal fly ash. The method of thermodynamic modeling was found useful in providing references for the mix design of MSWI bottom ash-based AAM. Grinding MSWI bottom ash into powder for the application of SCM and AAM precursor increased its leaching potential. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were provided on how to use MSWI bottom ash to prepare blended cement pastes and AAM.@en

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash, due to its high mineral content, presents great potential as supplementary cementitious material (SCM). Weathering, also known as aging, is a treatment process commonly employed in waste management to minimize the risk of heavy metal leaching from MSWI bottom ash. Using weathered MSWI bottom ash to produce blended cement pastes is considered as a high-value-added and sustainable waste disposal solution. However, a critical challenge arises from the metallic aluminum (Al) in weathered MSWI bottom ash, which is known to induce detrimental effects such as volume expansion and strength loss of blended cement pastes. While most metallic Al in weathered MSWI bottom ash can be removed with eddy current separators in metal recovery plants, the residual metallic Al, owing to its small particle size, cannot be removed with the same technique. This study is dedicated to addressing this issue. An in-depth analysis was conducted on residual metallic Al embedded in weathered MSWI bottom ash particles, aiming to guide the removal of this metal. This analysis revealed that mechanical removal was the most suitable method for extracting metallic Al. The specific processes and mechanisms underlying this method were elucidated. After reducing metallic Al content in weathered MSWI bottom ash by 77 %, a significant improvement in the quality of blended cement pastes was observed. This work contributes to the broader adoption of mechanical treatments for removing residual metallic Al from weathered MSWI bottom ash and facilitates the application of treated ash as SCM.@en

This paper investigated the feasibility of using biomass fly ash (BFA) to prepare alkaliactivated slag and fly ash paste. The reference mixture was alkali-activated slag and coal fly ash (CFA) paste with a slag-to-coal fly ash ratio of 50/50. In other mixtures, coal fly ash was replaced at 40% and 100% with BFA, respectively. The results showed that the incorporation of BFA accelerated the setting of the paste, while its impact on the compressive strength was minor. XRD and FTIR results indicated that the BFA participated in the reaction process. BFA showed potential use as CFA replacement in synthesizing alkali-activated materials, which would pave a way for the valorisation of BFA.@en