Sustainable Hybrid Lightweight Aggregate Concrete Using Recycled Expanded Polystyrene.

Global concrete production, reaching 14×1013m3/year, raises environmental concerns due to the resource-intensive nature of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) manufacturing. Simultaneously, 32.7×109 kg/year of expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste poses ecological threats.

Infrared spectra experimental analyses on alkali-activated fly ash-based binders.

One of the most used characterization techniques in the field of alkaline activated cements studies is infrared spectroscopy. Its prominence lies in that it allows characterizing mixtures during the alkaline activation by providing information about the vibrations of the chemical bonds in the molecular units, both of amorphous and crystalline products. This research paper is aimed at examining the influence of the concentration of calcium hydroxide (CH), sodium hydroxide (SH), temperature and curing time on the structure of alkaline activated cements, based on coal fly ash, from the deconvolution of the infrared spectrum between 4000 and 400 cm.