Upcycling Spent Waterglass Foundry Sand into Reactive Fine Aggregates for Alkali-Activated Slag to Achieve Enhanced Compressive Strength
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 9
Abstract
Spent waterglass foundry sand (SWFS) is a major waste in foundry industries and should be disposed of preferentially. Two SWFS subjected to working temperatures of 100°C () and 800°C () were prepared to investigate their effects on the flow, compressive strength, micromechanical properties, and pore structure of alkali-activated slag (AAS). Experimental results confirmed that the overall performance of AAS was determined by the dissolved properties of the dried waterglass coating and the content of SWFS. The flow values of AAS in the first 1 h were increased by adding two SWFS. can release abundant silica tetrahedra into the activation system, contributing to micromechanical and macromechanical properties. The compressive strength of -added AAS mortars was increased by 28.8% to 49.0% at 28 days. In contrast, exerted weaker dissolved properties. The compressive strength of AAS mortars was slightly enhanced and the maximum increment at 28 days was only 8.5%. In summary, this paper confirmed the feasibility of using SWFS as reactive fine aggregates for AAS owing to the dried waterglass coating.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (52008003), Outstanding Youth Project of Natural Science Research in Universities of Anhui Province (23AH030043), and Anhui Province Science and Technology Plan Project of Housing Urban-Rural Construction (2020-YF12).
Author contributions: Chunning Pei: Conceptualization; Writing–original draft preparation. Jiankai Xie: Investigation; Reviewing and Editing; Supervision.
References
Abdolhosseini Qomi, M. J., et al. 2014. “Combinatorial molecular optimization of cement hydrates.” Nat. Commun. 5 (1): 4960. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5960.
ASTM. 2015. Standard test method for flow of hydraulic cement mortar. ASTM C1437. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Bernal, S. A., J. L. Provis, V. Rose, and R. Mejía de Gutierrez. 2011. “Evolution of binder structure in sodium silicate-activated slag-metakaolin blends.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 33 (1): 46–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2010.09.004.
Bhardwaj, B., and P. Kumar. 2017. “Waste foundry sand in concrete: A review.” Constr. Build. Mater. 156 (Mar): 661–674. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.09.010.
Bhardwaj, B., and P. Kumar. 2019. “Comparative study of geopolymer and alkali activated slag concrete comprising waste foundry sand.” Constr. Build. Mater. 209 (Mar): 555–565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.03.107.
Brykov, A. S., V. V. Danilov, V. I. Korneev, and A. V. Larichkov. 2002. “Effect of hydrated sodium silicates on cement paste hardening.” Russ. J. Appl. Chem. 75 (10): 1577–1579. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022251028590.
Chang, J. J. 2003. “A study on the setting characteristics of sodium silicate-activated slag pastes.” Cem. Concr. Res. 33 (7): 1005–1011. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(02)01096-7.
Chen, P., J. Wang, F. Liu, X. Qian, Y. Xu, and J. Li. 2018. “Converting hollow fly ash into admixture carrier for concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 159 (Jan): 431–439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.10.122.
Chen, P., J. Wang, L. Wang, and Y. Xu. 2019. “Perforated cenospheres: A reactive internal curing agent for alkali activated slag mortars.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 104 (2019): 103351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2019.103351.
Chen, P., L. Zhang, Y. Wang, Y. Fang, F. Zhang, and Y. Xu. 2021. “Environmentally friendly utilization of coal gangue as aggregates for shotcrete used in the construction of coal mine tunnel.” Case Stud. Constr. Mater. 15 (Mar): e00751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2021.e00751.
Coz, A., A. Andrés, S. Soriano, and Á. Irabien. 2004. “Environmental behaviour of stabilised foundry sludge.” J. Hazard. Mater. 109 (1): 95–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2004.03.002.
Dai, X., S. Aydin, M. Y. Yardimci, and G. De Schutter. 2022. “Rheology and structural build-up of sodium silicate- and sodium hydroxide-activated GGBFS mixtures.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 131 (2022): 104570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2022.104570.
Díaz Pace, D. M., R. E. Miguel, H. O. Di Rocco, F. Anabitarte García, L. Pardini, S. Legnaioli, G. Lorenzetti, and V. Palleschi. 2017. “Quantitative analysis of metals in waste foundry sands by calibration free-laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.” Spectrochim. Acta, Part B 131 (Jun): 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2017.03.007.
dos Santos, L. F., R. S. Magalhães, S. S. Barreto, G. T. A. Santos, F. F. G. de Paiva, A. E. de Souza, and S. R. Teixeira. 2021. “Characterization and reuse of spent foundry sand in the production of concrete for interlocking pavement.” J. Build. Eng. 36 (Apr): 102098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.102098.
Fang, J., J. Xie, Y. Wang, W. Tan, and W. Ge. 2023. “Alkali-activated slag materials for bulk disposal of waste waterglass foundry sand: A promising approach.” J. Build. Eng. 63 (2023): 105422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.105422.
Fang, Y., J. Wang, X. Qian, L. Wang, P. Chen, and P. Qiao. 2022. “A renewable admixture to enhance the performance of cement mortars through a pre-hydration method.” J. Cleaner Prod. 332 (Jan): 130095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.130095.
Fu, Q., M. Bu, Z. Zhang, W. Xu, Q. Yuan, and D. Niu. 2021. “Hydration characteristics and microstructure of alkali-activated slag concrete: A review.” Engineering 20 (Jan): 162–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2021.07.026.
Kamińska, J., M. Angrecki, A. Palma, J. Jakubski, and E. Wildhirt. 2017. “The effect of additive “B.” on the properties of -hardened foundry sands with hydrated sodium silicate.” Arch. Metall. Mater. 62 (3): 1637–1641. https://doi.org/10.1515/amm-2017-0250.
Khatib, J. M., and D. J. Ellis. 2001. “Mechanical properties of concrete containing foundry sand.” ACI Symp. Publ. 200 (Jun): 733–748. https://doi.org/10.14359/10612.
Kim, J. J., E. M. Foley, and M. M. Reda Taha. 2013. “Nano-mechanical characterization of synthetic calcium–silicate–hydrate (C–S–H) with varying mixture ratios.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 36 (Feb): 65–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2012.10.001.
Kraus, R. N., T. R. Naik, B. W. Ramme, and R. Kumar. 2009. “Use of foundry silica-dust in manufacturing economical self-consolidating concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 23 (11): 3439–3442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2009.06.006.
Larbi, J. A., and J. M. J. M. Bijen. 1990. “Effects of water-cement ratio, quantity and fineness of sand on the evolution of lime in set portland cement systems.” Cem. Concr. Res. 20 (5): 783–794. https://doi.org/10.1016/0008-8846(90)90012-M.
Li, L. G., J. J. Feng, Z. C. Lu, H. Z. Xie, B. F. Xiao, A. K. H. Kwan, and C. J. Jiao. 2022. “Effects of aggregate bulking and film thicknesses on water permeability and strength of pervious concrete.” Powder Technol. 396 (Mar): 743–753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2021.11.019.
Liu, C., C. Wang, W. Xiao, J. Wu, and M. Gao. 2023. “Study on the performance of calcined spent waterglass foundry sand in alkali-activated foam concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 378 (2023): 131151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.131151.
Liu, Q., J. Zhang, Y. Su, and X. Lü. 2021. “Variation in polymerization degree of C-A-S-H gels and its role in strength development of alkali-activated slag binders.” J. Wuhan Univ. Technol. Mater. Sci. Ed. 36 (6): 871–879. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-021-2281-z.
Mohamed Ismail, A. A., K. Kannadasan, P. Pichaimani, H. Arumugam, and A. Muthukaruppan. 2020. “Synthesis and characterisation of sodium silicate from spent foundry sand: Effective route for waste utilisation.” J. Cleaner Prod. 264 (2020): 121689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121689.
Oliver, W. C., and G. M. Pharr. 1992. “An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments.” J. Mater. Res. 7 (6): 1564–1583. https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1992.1564.
Pope, A. W., and H. M. Jennings. 1992. “The influence of mixing on the microstructure of the cement paste/aggregate interfacial zone and on the strength of mortar.” J. Mater. Sci. 27 (23): 6452–6462. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00576298.
Puertas, F., M. Palacios, H. Manzano, J. S. Dolado, A. Rico, and J. Rodríguez. 2011. “A model for the C-A-S-H gel formed in alkali-activated slag cements.” J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 31 (12): 2043–2056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2011.04.036.
San Nicolas, R., and J. Provis. 2015. “The interfacial transition zone in alkali-activated slag mortars.” Front. Mater. 2 (Dec): 70. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2015.00070.
Shi, C. R., and L. Day. 1995. “A calorimetric study of early hydration of alkali-slag cements.” Cem. Concr. Res. 25 (6): 1333–1346. https://doi.org/10.1016/0008-8846(95)00126-W.
Siddique, R., G. Kaur, and A. Rajor. 2010. “Waste foundry sand and its leachate characteristics.” Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 54 (12): 1027–1036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.04.006.
Siddique, R., G. Singh, R. Belarbi, and K. Ait-Mokhtar. 2015. “Comparative investigation on the influence of spent foundry sand as partial replacement of fine aggregates on the properties of two grades of concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 83 (May): 216–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.03.011.
Sun, K., H. A. Ali, D. Xuan, J. Ban, and C. S. Poon. 2022a. “Utilization of APC residues from sewage sludge incineration process as activator of alkali-activated slag/glass powder material.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 133 (Oct): 104680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2022.104680.
Sun, Y., S. Ghorbani, X. Dai, G. Ye, and G. De Schutter. 2022b. “Evaluation of rheology and strength development of alkali-activated slag with different silicates sources.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 128 (Apr): 104415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2022.104415.
Torres, A., L. Bartlett, and C. Pilgrim. 2017. “Effect of foundry waste on the mechanical properties of Portland cement concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 135 (Mar): 674–681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.01.028.
Wang, C., P. Chen, Y. Xu, L. Zhang, Y. Luo, J. Li, and Y. Wang. 2022a. “Investigation on the utilization of spent waterglass foundry sand into Ca(OH)2-activated slag materials considering the coating layer of dried waterglass.” Constr. Build. Mater. 329 (2022): 127180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.127180.
Wang, J., Z. Hu, Y. Chen, J. Huang, Y. Ma, W. Zhu, and J. Liu. 2022b. “Effect of Ca/Si and Al/Si on micromechanical properties of C(-A)-S-H.” Cem. Concr. Res. 157 (Jul): 106811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2022.106811.
Wang, W., T. Noguchi, and I. Maruyama. 2022c. “Mechanism understanding of alkali-silica reaction in alkali-activated materials system.” Cem. Concr. Res. 156 (Jun): 106768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2022.106768.
Yaghoubi, E., A. Arulrajah, M. Yaghoubi, and S. Horpibulsuk. 2020. “Shear strength properties and stress–strain behavior of waste foundry sand.” Constr. Build. Mater. 249 (2020): 118761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118761.
Yuan, X.-H., W. Chen, Z.-A. Lu, and H. Chen. 2014. “Shrinkage compensation of alkali-activated slag concrete and microstructural analysis.” Constr. Build. Mater. 66 (Sep): 422–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.05.085.
Zhang, Y., X. Wan, D. Hou, T. Zhao, and Y. Cui. 2018. “The effect of mechanical load on transport property and pore structure of alkali-activated slag concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 189 (Nov): 397–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.09.009.
Zhang, Z., L. Li, X. Ma, and H. Wang. 2016. “Compositional, microstructural and mechanical properties of ambient condition cured alkali-activated cement.” Constr. Build. Mater. 113 (Jun): 237–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.03.043.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 9 • September 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 20, 2023
Accepted: Feb 29, 2024
Published online: Jun 26, 2024
Published in print: Sep 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Nov 26, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Aggregates
- Alkalinity and acidity
- Chemical properties
- Chemistry
- Compressive strength
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Environmental engineering
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Infrastructure
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- Pavements
- Sandy soils
- Slag
- Soil compression
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil strength
- Soils (by type)
- Strength of materials
- Transportation engineering
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.