Valorisation of Two Inorganic Industrial Wastes for Manufacturing Sulphur Polymer Concrete

• Main Authors: I. Garcia-Diaz, J. Lopez F, J. Alguacil F, P. Bolivar J, M. Gazquez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 2013-09-01
• Series: Chemical Engineering Transactions
• Online Access: https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/6206

The aim of this work is the valorisation in the sulphur polymer concrete (SPC) of two hazardous wastes, phosphogypsum (PG) and non-dissolved ilmenite mud (MD), disposed in controlled disposal areas, to be utilized in the manufacture of building materials. The advantages of SPC over Portland cement concrete are quick hardening and reaching the required characteristics in only 24 h; very low water permeability; exceptional resistance to acid and salt agents, which allows its use in extremely aggressive environments. This material also allows the utilization of large amounts of sulphur from worldwide oil refineries and metallurgical industries and also SPC are stabilizing agent for various wastes. Physico-chemical characterization was performed in the wastes and in sulphur polymer concretes obtained. The optimal mixture of the materials was obtained, the solidified material have a sulfur/phosphogypsum ratio of 1:0.9 and sulphur/mud of 1:1 with a waste dosage between 10 and 30 % wt. This SPC presents highest strength between 55 to 62 MPa to SPC-PG and 36 to 64 MPa to SPC-MD and low total porosity between 2.7 and 5.0 cm3g-1. The water absorption capillarity in the samples is smaller than in conventional Portland cement.