Green Stabilization of Bauxite Tailings: Mechanical Study on Alkali-Activated Materials
Giovani Jordi Bruschi, Carolina Pereira dos Santos, Mariana Tonini de Araújo, Suéllen Tonatto Ferrazzo, Sérgio Filipe Veloso Marques, Nilo César Consoli
Abstract
This study evaluates the alkali activation of a binary system composed of sugar cane bagasse ash and carbide lime as a green stabilization technique for bauxite tailings (BTs). To analyze the feasibility of this alternative binder as a stabilizer, mechanical tests were performed to measure the strength, stiffness, and durability of BT binder mixtures. As a control group, tailings were stabilized with high-initial-strength portland cement (Type III). The results show that the alternative binder is a suitable option to improve the mechanical behavior of bauxite tailings. The porosity/binder index (η/Biv) was an appropriate parameter for evaluating BT stabilization. Reduced porosity and increased binder content (decreased η/Biv) led to an improvement in the mechanical behavior of the studied mixtures.