A Preliminary Laboratory Evaluation of Artificial Aggregates from Alkali-Activated Basalt Powder

Sergio Copetti Callai, Piergiorgio Tataranni, Manuel De Rose, Annalisa Natali Murri, Rosolino Vaiana () and Cesare Sangiorgi
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Sergio Copetti Callai: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Piergiorgio Tataranni: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Manuel De Rose: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, Arcavacata Campus, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Annalisa Natali Murri: CNR–ISTEC Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics, 48018 Faenza, Italy
Rosolino Vaiana: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, Arcavacata Campus, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Cesare Sangiorgi: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-16

Abstract: The widespread use of natural aggregates is one of the main causes of the depletion of natural resources, as aggregates are constituents of several construction materials. Alternatively, it is, today, proven to be feasible to use mining tailings, either natural or recycled materials, to produce artificial aggregates through specific processes. A possible way to produce artificial aggregate is through the alkali activation of the powdered material in a process called geopolymerization. This study proposes to use a basalt powder and two different metakaolins as precursors for the production of an alkali-activated artificial aggregate, with a specific shape and size achieved by using 3D-printed molds. The experimental aggregates were evaluated using traditional tests for natural aggregates, such as resistance to compression, specific density and resistance to abrasion and fragmentation. Furthermore, the material was chemically analyzed in order to evaluate the geopolymerization process promoted by the two adopted metakaolins. The physical tests showed that artificial aggregates do not perform well in terms of resistance to wear and fragmentation, which can be improved. However, they revealed promising results in terms of skid, polishing and micro-texture.

Keywords: artificial aggregates; geopolymers; basalt powder; alkali-activated materials; polished stone value (PSV); micro-deval (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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