RECYCLING BIOMASS ASH INTO SUPPLEMENTARY CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS (SCMs) THROUGH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to help in reducing the environmental impact of the building industry through innovative solutions that recover and process valuable raw materials from industrial waste as Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs). With the increasing attention towards the reduction of CO2 emissions, the replacement of the clinker quota with SCMs in cement and concrete production is becoming more and more diffuse: the utilization of industrial by-products allows the development of “green-concrete” with a reduced environmental impact and lower embodied energy. This research focuses on the potential use of ash from biomass combustion as SCMs in mortars and concrete. The ash was characterised as received and tested after a secondary process that was used to improve its quality. Two processes were conducted: (a) vitrification to improve the hydrauliticy and/or (b) water washing to remove excess alkalies. The results of this work show that some biomass ashes, properly treated, are characterized by pozzolanic activity and latent hydraulicity that could be exploited for the manufacture of low embodied energy concrete.