Effectiveness of cement-based systems for stabilization and solidification of spent pot liner inorganic fraction

Approximately 7000 t of spent pot liner (SPL) wastes are generated annually from activities associated with Alumi;nio Brasileiro S.A. (ALBRAS) plant located at Barcarena, Pará state, Brazil. The inorganic fraction of SPL contains high level of toxic compounds like cyanide and fluoride; its safe disposal has been the subject of serious discussions in Brazil. This study evaluated the option of a cement-based stabilization/solidification system as an effective means for safe disposal of SPL inorganic fraction in the field. The studies were carried out with concrete hexagonal blocks manufactured with a constant mass of 10% (w/w) of waste, 20% (w/w) of cement, and varied percentages of water, coarse aggregate, sand, and additives. The concrete matrices porosity and compressive strength were controlled by using microsilica (MS) and superplaticizer (SP). The results showed an average pH values for the SPL inorganic fraction and fragmented blocks of 10.2 and 11.1, respectively. Mixing the waste with concrete ingredients the solidification/stabilization effectiveness for the leachable cyanides and fluorides were of 59.33 and 57.95%, respectively. The results showed that the water/cement (W/C) ratio reduction through superplasticizer addition improved the compressive strength and the required value of 35 MPa was reached with blocks manufactured with 10 and 15% (weight of cement) of microsilica, after 28 days of curing time.