Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash-blended cementitious materials

Performance, challenges, and potential solutions

Review (2025)
Author(s)

B. Chen (TU Delft - Materials and Environment)

Priyadharshini Perumal (University of Oulu)

C. Liu (TU Delft - Materials and Environment)

Y. Chen (TU Delft - Materials and Environment)

C. Chang (TU Delft - Resources & Recycling)

Majda Pavlin (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute)

Davor Kvočka (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute)

Vilma Ducman (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute)

Tero Luukkonen (University of Oulu)

Mirja Illikainen (University of Oulu)

G. (Guang) Ye (TU Delft - Materials and Environment)

Research Group
Materials and Environment
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2025.2548287
More Info
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Publication Year
2025
Language
English
Research Group
Materials and Environment
Issue number
19
Volume number
55
Pages (from-to)
1506-1533
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Abstract

The recycling of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) has attracted global attention, driven by the increasing availability of this by-product and the demand for sustainable SCMs to lower CO2 emissions from cement production. Currently, the widespread use of MSWI bottom ash in the cement industry is hindered by the lack of guidelines to regulate material composition, optimize pretreatment processes, and specify mix design requirements. This review compiles and analyzes literature data on mix design, microstructural evolution, fresh properties, mechanical properties, durability, leaching risks, and environmental impacts of MSWI bottom ash-blended cement pastes, mortars, and concretes. The analysis aims to assess the influence of the pretreatment and physicochemical properties of bottom ash1 on the microstructure and performance of blended cementitious materials.2 The Ash Impact Strength Index (AISI) is introduced to quantify the effects of various factors on compressive strength, enabling direct comparison across different studies. Based on the statistical analysis of the 28-day AISI, the key quality requirements for MSWI bottom ash as an SCM are proposed, along with the optimal mix design. This work provides valuable insights and practical guidance to support the integration of bottom ash into the cement industry.