Roles of biochar in cement-based stabilization/solidification of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash

Liang Chen, Lei Wang, Yuying Zhang, Shaoqin Ruan, Viktor Mechtcherine, Daniel C.W. Tsang

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

136 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Low-carbon stabilization/solidification (S/S) is of increasing importance for sustainable treatment of hazardous wastes. In this study, we integrated carbon-negative rice husk biochar (RBC) and yard waste biochar (YBC) as green additives into the binder for S/S of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash. Experimental results illustrated that the addition of both biochars promoted cement hydration reaction via pozzolanic reaction and internal curing. In particular, the incorporation of 10 wt% RBC (rich in activated Si) significantly increased the content of C-S-H gel from 41.6 wt% (control sample) to 52.0 wt% and increased the average degree of connectivity of C-S-H gel from 1.43 to 1.52 as indicated by quantitative X-ray diffraction and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. The incorporation of RBC and YBC (20 or 30 wt%) enhanced the immobilization efficiency of potentially toxic elements in MSWI fly ash due to the additional hydration products and high adsorption ability of biochar. For instance, in R-80FA and Y-80FA samples (namely, 20 wt% binder dosage, of which RBC or YBC accounted for 10 wt% of binder), the immobilization efficiency for Pb could reach 96.2% and comply with the leachability limit. The biochar-modified S/S blocks achieved comparable strength to the cement-based S/S blocks, presenting a mechanically stable solidified matrix for engineering application. Therefore, this study expands the emerging application of biochar and demonstrates that biochar-augmented binder can ensure low-carbon and high-performance S/S of hazardous materials.

Original languageEnglish
Article number132972
JournalChemical Engineering Journal
Volume430
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Feb 2022

Keywords

  • Carbon neutrality
  • Engineered biochar
  • Green/sustainable remediation
  • Hazardous waste treatment
  • Metal/metalloid leachability
  • Waste incineration fly ash

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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