Sustainable Lightweight Aggregates from Diatomite Residue

Maelson Mendonça de Souza (), Normando Perazzo Barbosa, Marcos Alyssandro Soares dos Anjos, Evilane Cássia de Farias, João Gabriel Cruz Aguiar, José Anselmo da Silva Neto and Cinthia Maia Pederneiras ()
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Maelson Mendonça de Souza: Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59015-000, Brazil
Normando Perazzo Barbosa: Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
Marcos Alyssandro Soares dos Anjos: Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
Evilane Cássia de Farias: Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59015-000, Brazil
João Gabriel Cruz Aguiar: Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59015-000, Brazil
José Anselmo da Silva Neto: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
Cinthia Maia Pederneiras: Buildings Department, National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, 1700-066 Lisbon, Portugal

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-28

Abstract: This study assessed the feasibility of producing lightweight aggregates (LWAs) using diatomite waste (DW) as a clay substitute. The research aimed to reduce the consumption of natural resources and minimise the environmental impacts caused by the disorderly disposal of DW. Chemical, physical, and mechanical tests were carried out on six formulations of mixtures containing 50% to 100% DW, sintered between 1100 and 1250 °C, resulting in 24 samples. The aggregates had a particle density between 1.14 and 2.13 g/cm 3 , a maximum bloating index of 5.7%, a crushing strength of up to 11.14 MPa, and a mass loss of up to 8.7%. Minimum porosity of 2.8 percent and water absorption of 2.0 percent were observed. Sixteen samples met the criteria required for commercial applications, demonstrating that replacing clay with DW is technically feasible. The high porosity of DW was found to influence the density of the LWAs. The findings of this study highlight the environmental sustainability of using DW as an alternative raw material, contributing to circular economy strategies in the construction sector.

Keywords: lightweight aggregate; diatomite waste; sustainable construction materials; recovery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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