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Characterisation and valorisation of biomass waste as a possible addition in eco-cement design

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Abstract

The use of biomass to generate energy has grown significantly in recent years in response to social awareness and renewable-based sustainability policies geared to conserving the environment and eradicating coal as a raw material in electric power production. The bioenergy industry also gives rise to by-products or waste, however, most of which are presently deposited in landfills. This study aims to characterise three types of biomass waste from Spanish bioenergy plants with a view to their valorisation as additions in the design of new eco-efficient cements with a lower clinker content. The focus is on the pozzolanicity of this waste and the hydration products formed in the biomass waste/Ca(OH)2 system. The findings show that irrespective of their nature, all three types of waste are apt for use in the cement industry or in concrete as supplementary cementitious materials.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under Projects BIA 2013-48876-C3-1-R, BIA 2013-48876-C3-2-R and BIA2016-76643-C3-1-R, as well as by the Government of Extremadura and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under Grant GR 15064 awarded to the MATERIA research group.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Construction, School of Engineering, University of Extremadura, UEX-CSIC Partnering Unit, 10003, Cáceres, Spain

    J. M. Medina, I. F. Sáez del Bosque & C. Medina

  2. Materials Recycling Department, Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science, National Research Council (CSIC), 28033, Madrid, Spain

    M. Frías & M. I. Sánchez de Rojas

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  1. J. M. Medina
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  2. I. F. Sáez del Bosque
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Medina, J.M., Sáez del Bosque, I.F., Frías, M. et al. Characterisation and valorisation of biomass waste as a possible addition in eco-cement design. Mater Struct 50, 207 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-017-1076-9

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