Influence of Addition of Fluid Catalytic Cracking Residue (FCC) and the SiO2 Concentration in Alkali-Activated Ceramic Sanitary-Ware (CSW) Binders

Production of Portland cement requires a large volume of natural raw materials and releases huge amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere. Lower environmental impact alternatives focus on alkali-activated cements. In this paper, fluid catalytic cracking residue (FCC) was used to partially replace (0 wt %–50 wt %) ceramic sanitaryware (CSW) in alkali-activated systems. Samples were activated with NaOH and sodium silicate solutions and were cured at 65 °C for 7 days and at 20 °C for 28 and 90 days. In order to increase CSW/FCC binders’ sustainability, the influence of reducing the silica concentration (from 7.28 mol·kg−1 up to 2.91 mol·kg−1) was analyzed. The microstructure of the developed binders was investigated in pastes by X-ray diffraction, thermo tests and field emission scanning electron microscopy analyses. Compressive strength evolution was assessed in mortars. The results showed a synergetic effect of the CSW/FCC combinations so that, under the studied conditions, mechanical properties significantly improved when combining both waste materials (up to 70 MPa were achieved in the mortars containing 50 wt % FCC cured at room temperature for 90 days). Addition of FCC allowed CSW to be activated at room temperature, which significantly broadens the field of applications of alkali-activated CSW binders