1. Alternative alkali activators based on waste bottle glass and waste cathode-ray tube glassKatja Koenig, Katja Traven, Vilma Ducman, 2021, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: Alkali-activated binders are an environmentally friendly alternative to Portland cement, particularly when locally-available raw materials are used. It is well known that alkali activation with a sodium silicate activator generates a hardened binder with higher compressive strength than a binder hardened with sodium hydroxide. As the alkali-silicate activators are produced through energy extensive processes, and their use can significantly increase the carbon footprint of the final products, it is of great significance to develop alternative alkaline activators based on locally-available waste materials. This article assesses the potential to apply waste bottle glass and waste cathode-ray tube (CRT) glass to synthesise alternative alkali activators by the hydrothermal method. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to determine silicon and aluminium content in the alternative activators. The influence of dissolution process parameters (time, temperature, particle size) on the concentrations of silicon and aluminium in the alternative activators was investigated. The alternative activators with silicon concentration up to 19 g/L and aluminium concentration up to 0.9 g/L were prepared at T = 120 °C and boiling time 24 h. The alternative alkali activators and, for comparison, also commercial sodium silicate were used in the alkali activation of fly ash powder. The formed pastes were cured at 70 °C for 72 h. Mechanical strength measurements indicated that alkali activation of fly ash with the optimal alternative activator yielded hardened paste with compressive strength of 33 MPa. However, the compressive strength of hardened paste prepared from fly ash and commercial sodium silicate reached 70 MPa. Part of this difference can be ascribed to the lower density of hardened pastes prepared with alternative activators. Keywords: alkali -activated materials, alternative alkali activators, waste bottle glass, waste cathode -ray tube glass, fly ash, hydrothermal method Published in DiRROS: 25.01.2024; Views: 382; Downloads: 238
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2. Evaluation of locally available amorphous waste materials as a source for alternative alkali activatorsKatja Koenig, Katja Traven, Majda Pavlin, Vilma Ducman, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: The production of alkali-activated materials with excellent mechanical performance requires the use of waterglass, which has a significant carbon footprint. Such materials can have a lower carbon footprint if we replace water glass with alternative activators sourced from waste. In this study, we assessed the suitability of locally available amorphous waste materials (stone wool, glass wool, bottle glass and cathode-ray tube glass) as a source for the preparation of alternative alkali activators. We quantified the amount of silicon and aluminium dissolved in the activator solutions via inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The alternative activators were then used to produce alkali-activated fly ash and slag. The compressive strength values of alkali-activated fly ash specimens upon the addition of NaOH, water glass and the most promising alternative activator were 38.98 MPa, 31.34 MPa and 40.37 MPa, respectively. The compressive strength of slag specimens activated with alternative activators with the highest concentration of dissolved silicon (21 g/L) was, however, 70% higher than the compressive strength of slag specimens activated with only 10 M sodium hydroxide. The compressive strength of slag specimens with the addition of the most promising alternative activator was significantly lower (3.5 MPa) than the compressive strength of those that had been activated by commercial water glass (34.3 MPa). Keywords: alkalijsko aktivirani materiali, alternativni aktivatorji, lastnosti, alkali activated materials/geopolimers, alternative activators, properties Published in DiRROS: 22.08.2023; Views: 396; Downloads: 244
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3. Sustainable alkali-activated slag binders based on alternative activators sourced from mineral wool and glass wasteMajda Pavlin, Katja Koenig, Jakob Koenig, Uroš Javornik, Vilma Ducman, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: In the present study, four different locally available waste glass materials (bottle glass-BG, glass wool-GW, stone wool-SW and cathode-ray tube glass-CRTG) were treated with hot concentrated potassium hydroxide (KOH) in order to obtain alternative alkali activators (AAAs). We evaluated the suitability of the solutions obtained for use as AAAs in the production of AAMs. AAMs were prepared using electric arc furnace slag and selected AAAs with a higher content of dissolved Si. We evaluated the performance of the AAMs in comparison to that of slags activated with KOH or potassium-silicate (K-silicate). The compressive strength of the AAMs prepared with KOH-based AAAs were high when Si and Al were simultaneously abundant in the AAA (9.47 MPa when using the activator sourced from the CRTG), and low with the addition of KOH alone (1.97 MPa). The AAM produced using commercial K-silicate yielded the highest compressive strength (27.7 MPa). The porosity of the KOH-based AAM was lowest when an alternative BG-based activator was used (24.1%), when it was similar to that of the AAM prepared with a K-silicate. The BG-based activator had the highest silicon content (33.1 g/L), and NMR revealed that Si was present in the form of Q0, Q1 and Q2. The concentrations of toxic trace elements in the AAAs used for alkali activation of the slag were also determined, and leaching experiments were performed on the AAMs to evaluate the immobilisation potential of alkali-activated slag. In the SW AAAs the results show acceptable concentrations of trace and minor elements with respect to the regulations on waste disposal sites, while in the activators prepared from BG, CRTG and GW some elements exceeded the allowable limits (Pb, Ba, Sb, and As). Keywords: alkali activated materials/geopolymers, alternative activators, NMR, leaching Published in DiRROS: 08.06.2023; Views: 501; Downloads: 329
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