Skip to main content
Log in

From coal-mining waste to construction material: a study of its mineral phases

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study from the recycling of coal mining waste from NW of Spain as pozzolans materials in cement industry is the scope of this present study. The thermal activation of coal-mining wastes, the formation of their hydrated phases and their evolution are analyzed, over pozzolanic reactions at 1, 7 and 28 days following activation. The coal-mining waste showed good pozzolanic activity, following thermal activation at 600 and 900 °C for 2 h. Total destruction of kaolinite is produced after treatment at 600 °C/2 h retention in the oven. This temperature and time are best suited for activation of the best environmental way. The compounds arising during the pozzolanic reaction in coal-mining waste activated at 600° and 900° in a Ca(OH)2 system were C–S–H gels, stratlingite (C2ASH8), tetracalcium aluminate hydrate (C4AH13), layered double hydroxides and monosulfoaluminate. When the temperature is 600 °C appeared layered double hydroxides via the metastable phase is favored during the first 7 days of reaction, while stratlingite is present as the major crystalline phase at 28 days into the pozzolanic reaction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ambroise J, Murat M, Pera J (1985) Hydration reaction and hardening of calcined clays and related minerals: V. Extension of the research and general conclusions. Cem Concr Res 15:261–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkins M, Glasser FK, Kindness A (1991) Phase relations and solubility modelling in the CaO–Al2O3–SiO2–MgO–SO3–H2O system for application in blended cements. In: Materials Research Society, Ed. Proceedings of the Materials Research Society Symposium, vol 2, Pittsburgh, PA, pp 215–220

  • Banfill PFG, Rodríguez O, Sánchez de Rojas MI, Frías M (2009) Effect of activation conditions of a kaolinite based waste on rheology of blended cement pastes. Cem Concr Res 39:843–848

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beltramini B, Suarez ML, Guilarducci A, Carrasco MF, Grether R (2010) Aprovechamiento de residuos de la depuración del carbón mineral: obtención de adiciones puzolánicas para el cemento portland. Rev Tecn Ciencia Uni Tecnol Nal Argentina 4:7–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Bian Z, Dong J (2009) The impact of disposal and treatment of coal mining wastes on environment and farmland. Environ Geol 58(3):625–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brindley GW, Brown G (1980) Crystal structures of clay minerals and their X-ray identification. Mineralogical Society Monograph 5, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Creelman RA, Ward CR, Schumacher G, Juniper L (2013) Relation between coal mineral matter and deposit mineralogy in pulverized fuel furnaces. Energy Fuel 27:5714–5724

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farmer VC (1974) The infrared spectra of minerals. Mineralogical Society Monograph no 4, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Frías M, Sánchez de Rojas MI, Rodríguez O, García R, Vigil R (2008a) Characterization of calcined paper sludge as an environmentally friendly source of metakaolin for manufacture of cementitious materials. Adv Cem Res 20(1):23–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frías M, García R, Vigil R, Ferreiro S (2008b) Calcination of art paper sludge waste for the use as a supplementary cementing material. Appl Clay Sci 42:189–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frías M, Rodríguez O, García R, Vegas I (2008c) Influence of activation temperature on reaction kinetics in recycled clay waste-calcium hydroxide systems. J Am Ceram Soc 91(12):4044–4051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frías M, Rodríguez O, Nebreda B, García R, Villar-Cocina E (2010) Influence of activation temperature of kaolinite based clay wastes on pozzolanic activity and kinetic parameters. Adv Cem Res 22(3):135–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frías M, Vigil de la Villa R, Sánchez de Rojas MI, Medina C, Juan A (2012a) Scientific aspects of kaolinite based coal mining wastes in pozzolan/Ca(OH)2 system. J Am Ceram Soc 95(1):386–391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frías M, Sánchez de Rojas MI, García R, Juan A, Medina C (2012b) Effect of activated coal mining wastes on the properties of blended cement. Cem Concr Compos 34(5):678–683

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frías M, Vigil de la Villa R, García R, Sánchez de Rojas MI, Juan A (2013) The influence of slate waste activation conditions on mineralogical changes and pozzolanic behavior. J Am Ceram Soc 96(7):2276–2282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García R, Vigil de la Villa R, Frías M, Rodríguez O, Martínez-Ramírez S, Fernández-Carrasco L, de Soto IS, Villar-Cociña E (2015) Mineralogical study of calcined coal waste in a pozzolan/Ca(OH)2 system. Appl Clay Sci 108:45–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haibin L, Zhenling L (2010) Recycling utilization patterns of coal mining waste in China. Res Cons Recycl 54(12):1331–1340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang CL, Matijevic E (1996) Preparation and characterization of ultrafine iron-rich nickel ferrites. Solid State Ion 84:249–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemeshev VG, Gudín IK, Savel YA, Tumanov DV, Lemeshev DO (2004) Utilization of coal mining waste in the production of building ceramic materials. Glass Cer 61(9–10):308–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leyva F, Matas J, Rodríguez Fernández LR (1984) Memoria y Hoja del Mapa Geológico de España, Escala 1:50.000, n° 129 (La Robla). 2ª serie Magna, IGME, Madrid

  • Li D, Song X, Gong C, Pan Z (2006) Research on cementitious behaviour and mechanism of pozzolanic cement with coal gangue. Cem Concr Res 36:1752–1759

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer F, Hempelmann R, Mathur S, Veith M (1999) Microemulsion mediated sol-gel synthesis of nano-scaled MAl2O4 (M = Co, Ni, Cu) spinels from single-source heterobimetallic alkoxide precursors. J Mater Chem 9:1755–1763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore DM, Reynolds RC (1987) X-ray diffraction and the identification and analysis of clay minerals, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pera J, Ambroise J, Chabannet M (2001) Transformation of waste into complementary cement materials, In: Malhotra, VM (ed) Seventh CANMET/ACI/JCI international conference on fly ash, silica fume, slag and natural pozzolans in concrete, SP199, pp 459–475

  • Rodríguez Largo O, Vigil de la Villa R, Sánchez de Rojas MI, Frías M (2009) Novel use of kaolin wastes in blended cements. J Am Ceram Soc 92(10):2443–2446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabir BB, Wild S, Bai J (2001) Metakaolin and calcined clays as pozzolans for concrete: a review. Cem Concr Compos 23:441–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sayanam RA, Kalsotra AK, Mehta SK, Singh RS, Mandal G (1989) Studies on thermal transformations and pozzolanic activities of clay from Jammu region (India). J Therm Anal 35:99–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skarzynska K (1995a) Reuse of coal mining wastes in civil engineering—part 1: properties of minestone. Waste Manag 15(1):3–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skarzynska K (1995b) Reuse of coal mining wastes in civil engineering—part 2: utilization of minestone. Waste Manag 15(2):83–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor HFW (1997) Cement chemistry, 2nd edn. Thomas Telford, London, UK

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Vega I, Urreta J, Frías M, García R (2009) Freeze–thaw resistance of blended cements containing calcined paper sludge. Constr Build Mater 23(8):2862–2868

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vigil de la Villa R, Frías M, Sánchez de Rojas MI, Vegas I, García R (2007) Mineralogical and morphological changes of calcined paper sludge at different temperatures and retention in furnace. Appl Clay Sci 36:279–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vigil de la Villa R, Frías M, García-Giménez R, Martínez-Ramírez S, Fernández-Carrasco L (2014) Chemical and mineral transformations that occur in mine waste and washery rejects during pre-utilization calcination. Int J Coal Geol 132:123–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward CR (2002) Analysis and significance of mineral matter in coal seams. Int J Coal Geol 50:135–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Z, Young JF (1984) Formation of calcium hydroxide from aqueous suspensions of tricalcium silicate. J Am Ceram Soc 67(1):48–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y, Xing W, Lu W, Zhang X, Christensen TH (2012) Environmental impact assessment of the incineration of municipal solid waste with auxiliary coal in China. Waste Manag 32:1989–1998

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project Ref. MAT2012-37005-CO3-01/02/03). The authors are also grateful to the Sociedad Anónima Hullera Vasco-Leonesa and to Spanish Cement Institute (IECA) for their help in this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. García Giménez.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

García Giménez, R., Vigil de la Villa, R. & Frías, M. From coal-mining waste to construction material: a study of its mineral phases. Environ Earth Sci 75, 478 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5494-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5494-8

Keywords

Navigation