Production of cold-bonded artificial lightweight aggregates from industrial waste via double-step pelletizationRaza, Jehangeer (Korespondenčni avtor) Tesovnik, Anže (Avtor) Ducman, Vilma (Avtor) Colangelo, Francesco (Avtor) Singh, Narinder (Avtor) Pavlin, Majda (Avtor) Tominc, Sara (Avtor) Farina, Ilenia (Avtor) lightweight aggregatesartificial aggregatescold-bonded pelletizationmunicipal solid waste incineration ashRecently, the use of recycled materials in the construction and building sector has gained global attention for promoting sustainability. For this purpose, eco-friendly lightweight artificial aggregates (LWA) are a suitable alternative to natural aggregates. Municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI-FA) (75 wt%, 65 wt%, 55 wt%), marble sludge (MS) (15 wt%, 25 wt%, 35 wt%), and ordinary Portland cement (OPC) (10 wt%) as a binder were used to prepare various mixtures of LWA through the cold bonding pelletization (CBP) process. Before pelletization, the MSWI-FA was pre-treated via a two-step washing with water, which significantly reduced the chloride and sulfate content. To enhance the performance of the aggregates, they were surface treated with a mixture of ground 50% granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), 20% silica fume (SF), and 30% OPC via CBP, and these aggregates were named double bonded. Overall, the apparent density of the aggregates ranged from 1.71 to 2.04 g/cm3, while water absorption ranged from 12.87% to 17.12%, and mechanical strength was observed in the range of 1.05 to 2.1 MPa. The DBAs showed improved performance compared to the SBAs. XRD analysis showed the formation of hydration products with poor crystallinity or amorphous structure, as confirmed by FTIR and TG analysis. Leaching analysis showed that most hazardous elements were successfully solidified/stabilized within the aggregate matrix. However, Mo and Sb concentrations exceeded the limits for non-hazardous waste, indicating the need for further optimization of the mixture composition and processing parameters to improve their immobilization.Elsevier20262026-08-13 13:32:22Neznano31866sl