Mineralogical study of secondary mineral phases from weathered MSWI bottom ash: implications for the modelling and trapping of heavy metals

International audienceA mineralogical study of 3 samples of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash collected from different storage sites and with storage times varying from 3 weeks to 2 years, has enabled identification of the main secondary mineral species formed during weathering. The frequencies of the secondary phases were determined and a diagram is proposed for the relative distribution of the newly formed mineral phases: calcite ≫ Fe oxides quartz ⩾ sulphates and/or ettringite (depending on the amount of reactive Al present in the bottom ash). This approach, involving careful sampling, sample preparation and the combined use of various analytical techniques, also showed the high frequency of Al hydroxides and amorphous phases and helped to identify more than 30 sulphates s.l. (sulphates, chromates, vanadates, etc.). Most of the secondary minerals (carbonates and sulphates s.l.) have broad metal trapping capacities for heavy element uptake (Pb, Zn, Cd, As, V, Cr, etc.) due to their crystal-chemistry characteristics. Ca-oxalates were also identified. Mineralogical data from the study provide new input for thermochemical models. The relative stability of metal uptake and the extent of associated neogenesis occurring during bottom-ash decomposition is discussed. Sulphate minerals (and certain heavy metal oxides (zincite)), which are extremely sensitive to environmental conditions, can trap metals only temporarily, as opposed to Fe oxyhydroxides (As, etc.) and carbonates (Pb, Zn, Cd), which are more stable under atmospheric conditions and constitute more sustainable trapping media with higher liquid/solid (L/S) ratios. Finally, a composite predictive diagram is proposed for the mineralogical evolution of bottom ash that accounts for variations in L/S ratios