Durability of alkali activated slag bearing organic liquid waste

Due to their advantages over conventional Portland cement (OPC)-based materials in terms of the environment and economy, alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are receiving more attention [1]. Alkali-activated slag is one of them and has been extensively studied for use in waste encapsulation. However, a crucial consideration in using AAS as waste conditioning matrices is the wasteform's durability. To ensure the integrity of the wasteform and guarantee safe waste containment, leaching and carbonation are the two most crucial durability factors that must be thoroughly understood. Previous investigations looking at the reference AAS (without waste) found that the decalcification of the AAS and consequent loss of strength were caused by leaching in a 6M NH4NO3 leaching solution [2]. However, carbonation of AAS revealed that the C-A-S-H structure of AAS underwent decalcification and increased cross-linking [1]. Nevertheless, nothing is known about how leaching and carbonation would affect organic waste that contains AAS. In this light, the current work aims to investigate the leaching and carbonation resistance of AAS containing organic oils, Nevastane (NEV) and Shell (SHE), as simulants of organic liquid waste.