Deng-Fong Lin

Stabilization treatment of soft subgrade soil by sewage sludge ash and cement

In this study, incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA) is mixed with cement in a fixed ratio of 4:1 for use as a stabilizer to improve the strength of soft, cohesive, subgrade soil. Five different ratios (in wt%: 0%, 2%, 4%, 8%, and 16%) of ISSA/cement admixture are mixed with cohesive soil to make soil samples. In order to understand the influences of admixtures on the soil properties, tests of the pH value, Atterberg limits, compaction, California bearing ratio (CBR), unconfined compressive strength, and triaxial compression were performed on those samples. The study shows that the unconfined compressive strength of specimens with the ISSA/cement addition was improved to approximately 3-7 times better than that of the untreated soil; furthermore, the swelling behavior was also effectively reduced as much as 10-60% for those samples. In some samples, the ISSA/cement additive improved the CBR values by up to 30 times that of untreated soil. This suggests that ISSA/cement has many potential applications in the field of geotechnical engineering.

Glazed Tiles Manufactured from Incinerated Sewage Sludge Ash and Clay

Abstract Sewage sludge incineration is applied extensively in highly populated cities as a final sludge treatment. In this study, incinerated ash was utilized as an additive to clay to manufacture glaze tiles. Four different amounts of ash (0, 15, 30, and 45%) were added, and five glaze concentrations (0.03, 0.06, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 g/cm2) were applied on the surface of biscuit tiles to study the effects of ash additive and glaze concentration on properties of fired samples. Sewage sludge was dehydrated and incinerated into ash at 800 °C. Subsequently, tile specimens were manufactured and fired at 800 °C to make biscuit tiles. Fritted glazes and iron oxide were used as the fundamental glaze and colorant, respectively. Finally, glaze was applied on the surface of biscuit tiles and then fired at 1050 °C to sinter them into glazed tile specimens. Tests were performed to analyze properties, including water absorption, firing shrinkage, weight loss on ignition, abrasion resistance, bending resistance, acid-alkali resistance, and aging resistance on specimens of glaze tile. To further understand more about the microstructural behavior of glazed tile specimens, analysis of energy dispersive spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray were carried out in this study.

Influence of phosphate of the waste sludge on the hydration characteristics of eco-cement

This study investigated the effects of phosphate on the hydration characteristics of three eco-cement clinkers made utilizing water purification sludge ash, sewage sludge ash and industry sludge ash. Analytical results demonstrate that the eco-cement A (ECO-A) pastes had a similar setting times, final setting times, compressive strengths and degree of hydration as ordinary Portland cement (OPC) pastes. Analytical results also show no damage to the hydration existed during the clinkerization process when adding up to 20% sludge. Increasing the P(2)O(5) content in the investigated clinker resulted in the formation of alpha-C(2)S. Compressive strength, degree of hydration and delay in setting time observed in the ECO-B and ECO-C pastes may be attributed to large amounts of alpha-C(2)S. When the amount of phosphate in ECO-C exceeded 0.46%, the amount of C(3)S in the clinker decreased, setting time increased and the strength of the eco-cement decreased.

The Effects of Nanomaterials on Microstructures of Sludge Ash Cement Paste

Abstract To broaden the beneficial reuse of sewage sludge, small amounts of nanomaterial were considered as additives to evaluate influences of nanomaterials on microstructures of sludge cement paste. Paste specimens were manufactured using different mix designs and cured for various ages. Tests such as scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, and mercury intrusion porosimetry were then performed. Results obtained indicated that the quantities of crystallization in hydrates rose with the increased amounts of nanomaterial added. Moreover, nanomaterial additives could make crystallizations denser, pore sizes smaller, and the number of pores decreased. Consequently, the strength of sludge cement paste became better as more amounts of nanomaterial were added.

A Comparison between Sludge Ash and Fly Ash on the Improvement in Soft Soil

Abstract In this study, the strength of soft cohesive subgrade soil was improved by applying sewage sludge ash as a soil stabilizer. Test results obtained were compared with earlier tests conducted on soil samples treated with fly ash. Five different proportions of sludge ash and fly ash were mixed with soft cohesive soil, and tests such as pH value, compaction, California bearing ratio, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and triaxial compression were performed to understand soil strength improvement because of the addition of both ashes. Results indicate that pH values increase with extending curing age for soil with sludge ash added. The UCS of sludge ash/soil were 1.4–2 times better than untreated soil. However, compressive strength of sludge ash/soil was 20–30 kPa less than fly ash/soil. The bearing capacities for both fly ash/soil and sludge ash/soil were five to six times and four times, respectively, higher than the original capacity. Moreover, the cohesive parameter of shear strength rose with increased amounts of either ash added. Friction angle, however, decreased with increased amounts of either ash. Consequently, results show that sewage sludge ash can potentially replace fly ash in the improvement of the soft cohesive soil.

The effects of different types of nano-silicon dioxide additives on the properties of sludge ash mortar.

Abstract To improve the drawbacks caused by the sludge ash replacement in mortar, the previous studies have shown that the early strength and durability of sludge ash/cement mortar are improved by adding nano-silicon dioxide (nano-SiO2) to mortar. In this article, three types of nano-SiO2—SS, HS, and SP (manufacturer code names)— were applied to sludge ash/cement mixture to make paste or mortar specimens. The object is to further extend the recycle of the sludge ash by determining the better type of nano-SiO2 additive to improve properties of sludge ash/cement paste or mortar. The cement was replaced by 0, 10, 20, and 30% of sludge ash, and 0 and 2% of nano-SiO2 additives were added to the sludge ash paste or mortar specimens. Tests such as setting time, compressive strength, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, and thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis were performed in this study. Test results show that nano-SiO2 additives can not only effectively increase the hydration product (calcium silicate hydrate [C-S-H] gel), but also make the crystal structure denser. Among the three types of nano-SiO2 additive, the SS type can best improve the properties of sludge ash/cement paste or mortar, followed by the SP and HS types.

Pozzolanic reactivity of the synthetic slag from municipal solid waste incinerator cyclone ash and scrubber ash.

Abstract Deng-Fong Lin is a professor in the Department of Civil and Ecological Engineering at IShou University in Taiwan, Republic of China.This study investigates the pozzolanic reactions and compressive strength of the blended cement manufactured using synthetic slag obtained from municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) cyclone ash and scrubber ash as partial replacement of portland cement. The synthetic slag was made by co-melting the MSWI scrubber ash and cyclone ash mixtures at 1400 °C for 30 min. Following pulverization, the different types of slag were blended with cement as cement replacement at ratios ranging from 10 to 40 wt %. The synthetic slag thus obtained was quantified, and the characteristics of the slag-blended cement pastes were examined. These characteristics included the pozzolanic activity, compressive strength, hydration activity, crystal phases, species, and microstructure at various ages. The 90-day compressive strength developed by slag-blended cement pastes with 10 and 20 wt % of the cement replaced by the synthetic slag outperformed ordinary portland cement by 1-7 MPa. X-ray diffraction species analyses indicated that the hydrates in the slag-blended cement pastes were mainly portlandite, the calcium silicate hydrate gels, and calcium aluminate hydrate salts, similar to those found in ordinary portland cement paste. Differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis also indicated that the slag reacted with port