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Hazardous element inertisation in vitrified silicate ceramics: Effect of different matrices
S Conte1, C Molinari1, M Ardit2
1CNR-ISSMC, Institute of Science, Technology and Sustainability for Ceramics, Via Granarolo 64, 48018 Faenza, Italy.
Ceramic recycling effectively immobilizes hazardous elements like barium and lead, but molybdenum retention is poor due to its chemical form. This study assesses ceramisation efficiency for industrial waste.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Engineering
- Waste Management
Background:
- The ceramic industry recycles its own waste with high efficiency (near 100%).
- Increasing use of diverse industrial waste as secondary raw materials introduces potential hazardous components.
- Assessing the inertisation efficiency of hazardous elements during ceramisation is crucial for safe waste valorisation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of ceramisation in immobilizing hazardous elements (HEs) from industrial waste.
- To investigate the mechanisms of HE immobilization within ceramic matrices.
- To identify elements with poor retention during the ceramisation process.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of ceramic bodies using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).
- Leaching tests were performed to assess the release of hazardous elements.
- Analysis of neoformation phases to understand element immobilization mechanisms.
Main Results:
- High immobilization efficiency was observed for barium (Ba), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), tin (Sn), and zinc (Zn).
- Molybdenum (Mo) showed poor retention in ceramic bodies, likely due to the formation of stable oxyanionic complexes.
- Significant variations in ceramic bodies were linked to pseudo-structural components and the polymerization degree of the vitreous phase.
Conclusions:
- Ceramisation is an effective method for immobilizing many hazardous elements in ceramic matrices.
- Molybdenum presents a challenge for inertisation in silicate-based ceramics due to its chemical speciation.
- Understanding the influence of ceramic matrix composition is key to optimizing waste valorisation processes.
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