Study of an alkali-activated binder based on tungsten mining mud and brick powder waste

Centre of Materials and Building Technologies (C–MADE/UBI), Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Beira Interior (UBI), 6201–001 Covilhã, Portugal

^* Corresponding author: castro.gomes@ubi.pt

Abstract

Blends of Tungsten mining waste mud (TMWM) and brick waste powder (BP) with different dosages were used as precursors for the study of a new binder obtained by alkali-activation. The synthesis was obtained at 60ºC curing during the first 24 hours and at 20°C during the remaining period. A combination of sodium hydroxide (SH) and sodium silicate (SS) solutions was used with SS/SH weight ratio equal 1.5. The solid precursors/liquid activators weight ratio equal to 4. And the modules SiO₂/Na₂O increase with the increasing of BP dosages 5.21 and 5.59 for dosages 10% and 50%, respectively. Mineralogical characterisation of raw materials was carried out by X–ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of the dosage of BP on the compressive strength and pore size distribution of the new binder was investigated from 24 hours up to 28 days. The pore size distribution was obtained mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The increase in the dosages of BP, between 10 to 50%, was followed by an increase in compressive strength, from 25 to 59 MPa, for all the tested ages. The binder matrix become more dense and compact with the gradually increase of BP dosages, as found out by MIP.