Abstract
Baryte (BaSO4) is a critical raw material with no functional recycling since the used applications are dissipative. Significant quantities of baryte end up in tailings as a side stream from the mining industry. Baryte from a secondary raw material source was used as a filler in plastics for low duty radiation shielding and as an aggregate in radiation shielding geopolymers needed for safely storing low-radioactive waste ash. Mechanical strength in geopolymers remained at a high level with 0–50 % baryte additions. Low-cost plastic composites with baryte additions showed promising attenuation for X-rays and gamma-rays. The results showed improved qualities in the direct use of the secondary baryte material in concrete and plastics in comparison to primary baryte. Baryte from an industrial waste stream was shown to be applicable to be used in radiation shielding in geopolymers for storing low-radioactive waste, and in plastics. Primary baryte can be replaced with secondary baryte to bring environmental, economic, and even functional benefits.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e25719 |
| Journal | Heliyon |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Feb 2024 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Funding
The work was funded by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. The authors thank Tapio Vehmas for mechanical strength measurements of geopolymers and Merja Tanhua-Tyrkkö for conducting radiation absorption measurements.
Keywords
- Circular economy
- Secondary material
- Waste valorisation
- Radiation shielding
- Baryte
- Tailings
