From NORM by-products to building materials

Labrincha, J.A.; Puertas, Francisca; Schroeyers, Wouter; Kovler, Konstantin; Pontikes, Yiannis; Nuccetelli, Cristina; Kovalchuk, Oleksandr; Petropavlovsky, O.; Komljenović, Miroslav; Fidanchevski, Emilija; Wiegers, R.; Volceanov, E.; Günay, Esin; Sanjuán, Miguel Ángel; Ducman, Vilma; Angjusheva, Biljana; Bajāre, Diāna; Kovács, Tibor; Bátor, Gergő; Schreurs, Sonja; Aguiar, José; Provis, John L.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-102009-8.00007-4

Cited by 28 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 157 publications

(147 reference statements)

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“…It has also been identified that there is a strong need for more refined and updated life-cycle inventory data for activator constituents including sodium silicate [303,305,313], as the currently available international databases do not reflect current production practice or processes. The assessment of recyclability [314,315] and release of potentially problematic elements (toxic or naturally occurring radioactive materials) [316][317][318] from AAMs in service has also received some attention as an essential constituent of a full cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle environmental assessment. This will doubtless gain further importance as noncarbon emissions become more of a focus in material and product assessments worldwide, while the sources and characteristics of waste materials used in AAM production become ever more diverse.…”

Section: Lca and Environmental Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent progress in low-carbon binders

Shi

Provis

2019

Cement and Concrete Research

467

131

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The development of low-carbon binders has been recognized as a means of reducing the carbon footprint of the Portland cement industry, in response to growing global concerns over CO2 emissions from the construction sector. This paper reviews recent progress in the three most attractive low-carbon binders: alkali-activated, carbonate, and belite-ye'elimite-based binders. Alkali-activated binders/materials were reviewed at the past two ICCC congresses, so this paper focuses on some key developments of alkali-activated binders/materials since the last keynote paper was published in 2015. Recent progress on carbonate and belite-ye'elimite-based binders are also reviewed and discussed, as they are attracting more and more attention as essential alternative low-carbon cementitious materials. These classes of binders have a clear role to play in providing a sustainable future for global construction, as part of the available toolkit of cements.

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Section: Lca and Environmental Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent progress in low-carbon binders

Shi

Provis

2019

Cement and Concrete Research

467

131

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“…Such adverse effects have driven the study and use of industrial waste and by-products from widely varying industries for cement and concrete manufacture. The aims of such practice include achieving the sustainability goals set out in the UN's Agenda 2030 and implementing the guidelines for what is known in the EU as the circular economy [9,10], i.e., to favour more sustainable construction [4,8,9,[11][12][13][14][15][16]. Some of the industrial waste and by-products apt for cement and concrete manufacture are members of the family of so-called NORMs (naturally occurring radioactive materials).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Approach for the Determination of Radiological Parameters on Hardened Cement Pastes with Coal Fly Ash

et al. 2021

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Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in industrial waste and by-products are routinely used to mitigate the adverse environmental effects of, and lower the energy consumption associated with, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) manufacture. Many such SCMs, such as type F coal fly ash (FA), are naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs). 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclide activity concentration, information needed to determine what is known as the gamma-ray activity concentration index (ACI), is normally collected from ground cement samples. The present study aims to validate a new method for calculating the ACI from measurements made on unground 5 cm cubic specimens. Mechanical, mineralogical and radiological characterisation of 28-day OPC + FA pastes (bearing up to 30 wt % FA) were characterised to determine their mechanical, mineralogical and radiological properties. The activity concentrations found for 226Ra, 212Pb, 232Th and 40K in hardened, intact 5 cm cubic specimens were also statistically equal to the theoretically calculated values and to the same materials when ground to a powder. These findings consequently validated the new method. The possibility of determining the activity concentrations needed to establish the ACI for cement-based materials on unground samples introduces a new field of radiological research on actual cement, mortar and concrete materials.

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“…These values for activity concentration in the coal ash samples imply that the Okaba and Omelewu coal ash material is enriched in 226 Ra, 228 Ra, and 228 Th, contributing significantly to the natural background radiation. Elevated values of total radium activity concentration in Okaba and Omelewu coal ash samples (with average of 291.86 Bqkg −1 and 362.14 Bqkg −1 , respectively) suggests potentially high radon release rates from buildings constructed using such coal ash material, which consequently represents a serious health hazard for occupants of such buildings due to exposure to gamma radiation from radium, alongside radon inhalation [31]. These activity concentration results (of U and Th progenies) for Okaba and Omelewu experimental coal ash samples are also comparable to coal ash samples from the Appalachian, Illinois, and Powder River basin coal mines (USA) and coal mines in Xijiang, Guangxi, and Sichuan provinces in China, which are known to be highly radioactive [3,19].…”

Section: the Mean Activity Concentration Values Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the Mode of Occurrence and Radiological Impact of Radionuclides in Nigerian Coal and Resultant Post-Combustion Coal Ash Using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

et al. 2020

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Natural radionuclide concentrations in coal and coal ash can occur at levels sufficient to raise potential health and environmental concerns when (re)suspended or disposed into the environment. To evaluate such concerns, this study characterized coal and simulant coal ash samples obtained from two Nigerian coal mines (Okaba and Omelewu) using high resolution gamma spectroscopy combined with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Discrete uraninite particles were observed dispersed within the coal ash samples, alongside U and Th containing mineral grains (monazite and zircon) with monazite the most abundant radioactive mineral particles. The pitted and cracked surface morphologies of these radioactive particles (with sizes between 10 μm and 80 μm) indicate their susceptibility for disintegration into more harmful and readily inhalable PM2.5 aerosol particles, with the potential to deliver a localized dose and cause chronic respiratory diseases. The results of activity concentrations and radiological hazard indices for the coal ash samples from both mines were between three and five times higher than world average in soil, which imply that these coal ash materials should be suitably contained in slurry ponds to prevent hazards due to increased risk of prolonged indoor exposure to gamma radiation, radon gas, and inhalation of liberated radioactive particles.

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From NORM by-products to building materials

Cited by 28 publications

References 157 publications

Recent progress in low-carbon binders

Recent progress in low-carbon binders

New Approach for the Determination of Radiological Parameters on Hardened Cement Pastes with Coal Fly Ash

Assessment of the Mode of Occurrence and Radiological Impact of Radionuclides in Nigerian Coal and Resultant Post-Combustion Coal Ash Using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

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