Comprehensive study of recycling municipal solid waste incineration fly ash in lightweight aggregate with bloating agent: Effects of water washing and bloating mechanism

Recycling into lightweight aggregate (LWA) by sintering is a promising technology for disposal of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (FA). In this study, FA and washed FA (WFA) were combined with bentonite and SiC (bloating agent) to make LWA. The performance was comprehensively studied by hot-stage microscopy and laboratory preparation experiments. Water washing and increased FA/WFA improved LWA bloating extent, while shorten the bloating temperature range. Water washing also increased the 1 h-water absorption rate of LWA, making it harder to meet the standard. Excessive FA /WFA usage (70 wt%) will prevent LWA from bloating. For the goal of recycling more FA, mixture with 50 wt% WFA could prepare LWA that meet standard GB/T 17431 at 1140–1160 °C. After water washing, the ratio of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu stabilized in LWA increased by 279 %, 410 %, 458 %, and 109 % for 30 wt% FA/WFA addition, and 364 %, 554 %, 717 %, and 697 % for 50 wt% FA/WFA addition, respectively. The change of liquid phase content and viscosity at high temperature were determined using the thermodynamic calculations and chemical compositions. The bloating mechanism was further investigated by integrating these two properties. To obtain accurate results of the bloat viscosity range (2.75–4.44 log Pa·s) for high CaO systems, the composition of the liquid phase should be taken into account. The liquid phase viscosity required for bloating start was proportional to the liquid phase content. With temperature increasing, bloating would end when viscosity drops to 2.75 log Pa·s or liquid phase content reach 95 %. These findings provided further understanding of the heavy metal stabilization during LWA production and the bloating mechanism of high CaO content systems, and could contribute to the feasibility and sustainability of recycling FA and other CaO-rich solid wastes into LWA.