Abstract
Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash (MBA) represents both a disposal challenge and a potential resource for sustainable construction materials, including use as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). However, the conventional use of MBA in cement-based materials is hindered by its high metallic aluminum content, which reacts in alkaline environments to release hydrogen gas and causes volumetric instability (e.g., expansion and cracking). This study investigates a cement-based alkali pretreatment method using diluted cement suspension to stabilize metallic aluminum and improve the compatibility of MBA as an SCM. Compared to conventional alkali solutions, the proposed approach avoids the direct use of highly concentrated chemical alkalis and may offer practical advantages for integration into cementitious systems. The pretreatment generated approximately 2.4-2.6 kg of hydrogen gas per metric ton of MBA, and the treated MBA achieved substantially improved performance compared to untreated MBA, retaining over 75% of the control compressive strength at later ages with 20% cement substitution. Preliminary lifecycle and economic assessments indicated reduced CO2 emissions and more than 25% potential cost savings compared to conventional Portland cement systems. The results demonstrate that cement-based alkali pretreatment can improve the performance of MBA as an SCM in cementitious systems while supporting effective solid waste valorization.
Recommended Citation
M. H. Javed et al., "Treatment Of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash Using Cement For Integrated Recovery Of Hydrogen And Production Of Supplementary Cementitious Material," Cement and Concrete Composites, vol. 173, article no. 106742, Elsevier, Oct 2026.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106742
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Publication Status
Full Text Access
Keywords and Phrases
Alkali treatment; Hydrogen recovery; Metallic aluminum; Municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash; Solid waste valorization; Supplementary cementitious material
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0958-9465
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Oct 2026
Comments
Environmental Research and Education Foundation, Grant 2214028