Clinkerless Binders Based on Peat Ash
The possibility of using peat ash as the main component of ash - alkaline binder is considered. The properties of ash produced at the CHP (heat and power plant) when combusting thepeat have been studied. A comprehensive study conducted using electron microscopic, x - ray phase and chemical analyses, established that peat ash consists of small particles, whichare mainly in an amorphous form. It is shown that the chemical composition of the material under study is an acidic aluminosilicate raw material. Peat ash is not hydrated by waterand does not harden on its own. The introduction of an alkaline component (liquid glass) is proposed for the manifestation of the binding properties by ash. The necessity of modifyingindustrial liquid glass from a silicate block by introducing an additional amount of alkali NaOH into its composition and a short boiling has been established. It is concluded thatthe combined use of peat ash and modified liquid glass from a silicate block makes it possible to obtain an ash - alkaline binder with an activity of more than 20 MPa. It is noted thatthe main indicators of the properties of the ash - alkali binder depend on the amount of alkali introduced into the liquid glass, the density of the liquid glass and its flow rate in thebinder system. On the basis of experimental data the conclusion about expediency of the use of peat ash as a part of ash - alkaline binder is made. The possibility of using peat ashwas confirmed by the results of gamma - spectral analysis for determining the specific effective activity of natural radionuclides. The efficiency of using peat ash in the production ofclinkerless binders is shown.