1. Recycling mineral wool waste : towards sustainable construction materialsMartina Milat, Sandra Juradin, Nives Ostojić-Škomrlj, Anže Tesovnik, 2025, review article Abstract: This literature review critically examines the incorporation of mineral wool waste (MWW), a byproduct of insulation materials, into new construction materials as a sustainable recycling strategy. Covering research published between 2000 and 2025, the review focuses on the effects of MWW on various material properties and performance, including concrete, mortar, alkali-activated materials (AAMs), geopolymers (GPs), building ceramics, and asphalt. Experimental evidence demonstrates that MWW can enhance or alter the performance of these materials, offering promising opportunities for waste valorization. The review also identifies challenges related to optimizing material compositions and production methods, and highlights the need for further research to facilitate the industrial-scale application of MWW-recycled construction materials. By synthesizing current knowledge, this work aims to inform sustainable development and circular economy practices in the construction sector.
Keywords: mineral wool waste, rock wool, glass wool, recycling, sustainability, construction and demolition waste
Published in DiRROS: 19.09.2025; Views: 467; Downloads: 201
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2. Late-microwave irradiation of alkali-activated waste glass wool : linking dehydration rate with thermomechanical behaviourBarbara Horvat, Anže Tesovnik, Branka Mušič, 2025, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: Building and civil engineering conventional inorganic binding materials represent a significant burden for the environment, leading to the search for more sustainable materials. One of the potential solutions is alkali-activated materials (AAMs), which can be made solely from waste materials and at lower temperatures. However, reaction rate and solidification time depend on the precursor used. To enhance the speed of solidification, the curing temperature can be increased, but from the inside out not to create the crust on the surface, which would hinder the dehydration. Therefore, three mixtures of alkali-activated glass wool, a slow-in-alkali media solidifying precursor, were irradiated with low- and high-power microwaves in the late curing stage till complete dehydration, to determine the influence of artificial volumetric solidification onto thermomechanical behaviour of the AAM. As the electromagnetic power increased, the damages in the AAM became more severe, resulting in a reduction in mechanical strength.
Keywords: microwave irradiation, electromagnetic dehydration, glass wool, alkali-activated materials, mechanical performance
Published in DiRROS: 07.04.2025; Views: 801; Downloads: 526
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3. Rapid immobilisation of chemical reactions in alkali-activated materials using solely microwave irradiationAnže Tesovnik, Barbara Horvat, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Efflorescence, a time-dependent and water-driven phenomenon, is a major concern inalkali-activated materials (AAMs), impacting their practical use and preservation in a time-frozen state for post-characterisation. Although a method for stopping chemical reactions in conventional cements exists, it is time-consuming and not chemical-free. Therefore, this study explored the effects of low-power microwave-induced dehydration on efflorescence, mechanical performance, and structural integrity in AAMs, to create an alternative and more “user-friendly” dehydration method. For this purpose, several mixtures based on secondary raw (slag, fly ash, glass wool, and rock wool) and non-waste (metakaolin) materials were activated with a commercial Na-silicate solution in ratios that promoted or prevented efflorescence. Characterisation techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, showed that microwave dehydration effectively removed water without altering crystallinity, while mercury intrusion porosimetry and compressive strength tests confirmed increased porosity. In addition to being an efficient, time-saving, and solvent-free manner of stopping the reactions in AAMs, microwave irradiation emerged as an innovative, chemical-free method for evaluating curing finalisation and engineering foams in a stage when all other existing methods fail. However, the artificially provoked efflorescence in aged dehydrated AAMs connected the slipperiness of AAM with the instant extraction of Na, which raised the need for further research into alternative alkali replacements to evaluate the practical use of AAM.
Keywords: materials chemistry, alkali-activated materials, geopolymers, slag, fly ash, rock wool, glass wool, metakaolin, microwave irradiation, dehydration, stopping chemical reactions, efflorescence
Published in DiRROS: 23.12.2024; Views: 1146; Downloads: 683
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4. Dehydration with microwave irradiationAnže Tesovnik, Barbara Horvat, 2024, complete scientific database of research data Abstract: The dataset supports the results shown in the tables and figures in the article entitled “Rapid immobilisation of chemical reactions in alkali-activated materials using solely microwave irradiation” (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121219). It contains measurements of mechanical and structural evaluation, as well as chemical and mineralogical analysis.
Keywords: measurments, alkali-activated materials, geopolymers, slag, fly ash, rock wool, glass wool, metakaolin, microwave irradiation, dehydration, stopping of chemical reactions, efflorescence
Published in DiRROS: 12.08.2024; Views: 1388; Downloads: 11701
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