Valorization of industrial wastes for sustainable cement-based materials with enhanced chloride binding

Improving the chloride binding capacity of cement-based material can effectively slow down the corrosion of steel bars in concrete. This study investigated the valorization of two industrial wastes, carbonated sintering red mud (CSRM) and bauxite tailings (BT), as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to enhance the chloride binding capacity of cement-based materials. CSRM and BT were incorporated separately and in combination to prepare cement paste mixtures, replacing 10-30 % of ordinary Portland cement. The bound chloride contents were determined, and the hydration products were characterized using X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. Both CSRM and BT promoted the formation of Friedel's salt (FS) through increased aluminum dissolution and conversion of monocarbonate/monosulfate phases. In the early ages, the synergistic effect of CSRM and BT resulted in the highest FS content. At later ages, BT demonstrated superior chloride binding due to its high alumina content facilitating continued FS formation. Furthermore, the adverse effect of CSRM on the composite system was less than that of BT. At 28d age, when the SCMs content was 30 %, the compressive strength of cement-BT system was 34.5 % lower than the control, while the compressive strength of cement-CSRM system was only 20.9 % lower than the control. The findings highlight the potential of valorizing CSRM and BT as sustainable SCMs for developing chloride-resistant cement-based materials.