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Preparation of controlled low-strength materials from alkali-excited red mud-slag-iron tailings sand and a study of the reaction mechanism

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Abstract

To address the low utilization of fines in iron tailings sand (IOTs), a controlled low-strength material (CLSM) was prepared from a combination of fine IOTs and red mud (RM) slag. The 7-day unconfined compressive strength (7-d UCS), slump and cost were used as evaluation indicators, and 16 sets of tests were designed with the Box–Behnken design (BBD) response surface method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to study the microscopic morphology and reaction mechanism of the CLSM samples made with the optimal ratios. The results show that the best matching ratio for the alkali-activated RM-slag-IOTs CLSM was a sand ratio of 0.797, an NaOH dose of 3.667% and a mass concentration of 80.657%, and the 7d-UCS, slump and cost indicators verified the feasibility of applying the CLSM to the base course of pavement. Alkali activation of the CLSM also showed that the RM-slag cementation system produced new substances. Internal calcium–silicate–hydrogel (C–S–H) and calcium–aluminosilicate–hydrogel (C–A–S–H) agglomerates were the main sources of strength, and hydration products were interwoven to form a dense structure with crystals as the framework and gels as fillers.

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Abbreviations

7-UCS:

7-Day unconfined compressive strength

BBD:

Box–Behnken designed

C–A–S–H:

Calcium–aluminosilicate–hydrogel

CLSM:

Controlled low strength materials

C–S–H:

Calcium–silicate–hydrogel

EDS:

Energy dispersive spectroscopy

FTIR:

Fourier transform infrared

IOTs:

Iron tailing sand

Mass concentration:

Solid mass as a percentage of the sum of solid and liquid mass

NaOH dose:

Percentage of mass of cementitious material

RM:

Red mud

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

sand ratio:

The ratio of IOTs mass to solid mass

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

XRF:

X-ray fluorescence

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Funding

This work was supported by the following funds:

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52074144).

2. Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (No. 2019-MS-158).

3. Liaoning Provincial Education Department Scientific Research Fund (No. LJ2020JCL001).

4. The Disciplinary Innovation Team of Liaoning University of Technology (No. LNTU20TD-12).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Architecture and Transportation, Liaoning University of Technology, Fuxin, 123000, Liaoning, China

    Mingyang Jiang, Yafeng Qian & Qi Sun

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  1. Mingyang Jiang
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  2. Yafeng Qian
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  3. Qi Sun
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Mingyang Jiang: methodology, writing review and editing, project management, formal analysis. Yafeng Qian: investigation, data management, writing—manuscript, visualization. Qi Sun: funding acquisition, experimental guidance, conceptualization. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mingyang Jiang.

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Jiang, M., Qian, Y. & Sun, Q. Preparation of controlled low-strength materials from alkali-excited red mud-slag-iron tailings sand and a study of the reaction mechanism. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 22232–22248 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23607-3

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