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Coal bottom ash natural radioactivity in building materials

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Abstract

The viability of ground coal bottom ash as a potential Portland cement constituent to be used in building materials is assessed. Currently, coal fly ash is used to produce Portland cements and concretes. However, coal bottom ash is mainly landfilled. Gamma spectrometry analysis, compressive strength, physical and chemical testing were performed. The ground coal bottom ash activity concentration index (I = 1.03) was compared to that of the coal fly ash (I = 1.11) provided from the same thermo-electrical power plant. Ground coal bottom ash could be used in building materials in the same way as coal fly ash as a Portland cement constituent.

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Acknowledgements

This study was realized under the EU’s COST Action TU1301 NORM4BUILDING. http://norm4building.org/.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cements and Mortars Department, Spanish Institute of Cement and Its Applications (IECA), C/José Abascal 53, 28003, Madrid, Spain

    Miguel Ángel Sanjuán

  2. Physics Department, Salamanca University, C/Espejo, 2, 37008, Salamanca, Spain

    Begoña Quintana

  3. Civil Engineering School, Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), C/Profesor Aranguren, s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Cristina Argiz

Authors
  1. Miguel Ángel Sanjuán
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  2. Begoña Quintana
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  3. Cristina Argiz
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Correspondence to Miguel Ángel Sanjuán.

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Sanjuán, M.Á., Quintana, B. & Argiz, C. Coal bottom ash natural radioactivity in building materials. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 319, 91–99 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6251-0

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