The Reuse of Municipal Solid Waste Fly Ash as Flame Retardant Filler: A Preliminary Study

Alessandra Zanoletti and Luca Ciacci
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Alessandra Zanoletti: INSTM and Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Luca Ciacci: Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari”, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: The growing increase in the production of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ashes has led to the research of new possibilities to reuse these by-products. This work aims to use MSW fly ash (FA) as a flame retardant filler. The FA was stabilized according to a simple stabilization process involving the mixing of only different ashes: bottom ash (BA), flue gas desulphurization (FGD) residues and coal fly ash (CFA). Stabilized FA, calcite and commercial flame retardants were compared as additives in an epoxy resin or polypropylene (PP) matrix. The self-extinguish performance of fillers was evaluated by fire resistance tests: the vertical burning test (UL94-V) and glow wire test (GWT) at 750 °C and 850 °C. A life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluation was also performed to estimate the reduction in environmental impact related to the production of the flame retardant with stabilized FA. The results show that this new filler is a promising alternative to traditional flame retardant. The ignition time of composites with calcite was lower than the corresponding sample with FA. From an environmental point of view, the replacement of calcite in an epoxy resin matrix or commercial flame retardant in a PP matrix with stabilized FA allows for a reduction in the impact of about 24.1% and 49.5%, respectively.

Keywords: flame retardant; stabilized FA; LCA; circular economy (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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