Phosphogypsum leachate cleaning waste as partial cement replacement in mortars

This study presents the first valorisation of a waste generated from the cleaning process of phosphogypsum leachate. Leachate decontamination waste (LDW), which contains non-negligible concentrations of heavy metals, radionuclides and fluorine, was used as a partial cement replacement in mortars at...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Soto Cruz, Francisco Javier, Rosales García, Julia, Bolívar Raya, Juan Pedro, Ramos Lerate, Inmaculada, Agrela Sainz, Francisco, Gázquez González, Manuel Jesús
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
Repositorio:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/27684
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27684
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Phosphogypsum leachate treatment
Cement mortars
Leaching test
Technical properties
Heavy metals immobilisation
3312 Tecnología de Materiales
Descripción
Sumario:This study presents the first valorisation of a waste generated from the cleaning process of phosphogypsum leachate. Leachate decontamination waste (LDW), which contains non-negligible concentrations of heavy metals, radionuclides and fluorine, was used as a partial cement replacement in mortars at varying proportions. New cements and mortars were produced from mixtures of a commercial Portland cement (CEM I 52.5) with different concentrations of this waste (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 25 and 35 wt.%). The physical-chemical properties, mechanical behaviour, and environmental impact of these LDW-cement mortars were evaluated. The results revealed that incorporating LDW at levels of up to 10% not only maintained but even enhanced the mechanical properties compared to the reference mortar. Furthermore, the cement matrix effectively immobilized potential contaminants in all cases, contributing to environmental safety.