Study on preparation and activation enhancement effect of cold bonded multi-solid waste wrap-shell lightweight aggregates (SWSLAs) with low cement content

Cement production consumes large amounts of depleted resources and energy, and causes environmental pollution. In order to reduce cement consumption and realize the closed-loop recycling of solid waste, cold bonded solid waste wrap-shell lightweight aggregates (SWSLAs) with a sextuplet blended system composed of dredged sediments, mineral powder, steel slag, phosphogypsum, fly ash, and a minimal amount of cement were prepared. Through the single-factor experiment, the influences of the types and dosages of solid wastes in the nuclear phase of SWSLAs (SWSLAs-NP) and shell phase of SWSLAs (SWSLAs-SP) on the strength and water resistance were explored, and the optimum ratio was obtained. On this basis, the influence of the types and amounts of activators incorporated in SWSLAs on the physical properties of aggregates was studied, and the primary microstructure of the aggregate was characterized. Our results showed that the optimal ratio of solid waste in the SWSLAs-NP was: 40 wt% of dredged sediments, 24 wt% of mineral powder, 18 wt% of steel slag, and 18 wt% of phosphogypsum. The optimal weight ratio of cement and solid waste in the SWSLAs-SP was 5:95. The resulting aggregate had a bearing capacity of single grain of 73.83 N and a water-resistance coefficient of 0.67. After the above aggregates were treated with Na 2 SO 4 (activator) at 2%, the bearing capacity and water-resistance coefficient of the aggregates increased by 47.00% and 11.94%, respectively. The performances were even better than that of the aggregate composed of100w cement in the shell phase. Microstructural observations demonstrated that the structure of the raw material was reconstructed under the action of Na 2 SO 4, and the raw materials reacted with each other, and thus the densification of the aggregate and its core-shell interface structure was enhanced, which improved the comprehensive performance of the aggregate. This study represents a step toward efficient utilization of industrial solid wastes. • SWSLAs with cement content of 1.45 wt% were prepared by spheronization/agglomeration method. • The solid waste content in SWSLAs reaches more than 95 wt%. • The strength of SWSLAs increased by 47.00% after treatment with activator. • The role of core-shell structure and the compatibility of raw materials are illustrated.