Assessment of the Leachability and Mechanical Stability of Mud From a Zinc-Plating Plant and Waste Zeolite Binding With Portland Cement

Abstract

The study has examined the immobilization of mud from a zinc-plating plant and waste zeolite materials with Portland cement type CEM I. Determination of leachability was assessed by NEN 7345 leaching test. The mechanical stability of immobilized samples was tested by measuring compressive and flexural strength. The samples with the addition of mud showed high mobility of zinc ions with leachability index values below criteria limit. With the addition of waste zeolite in cement-mud system, zinc has become less mobile with greater leachability index. According to diffusion model, controlling mechanism for leaching of zinc is a wash-off (except for the sample with the addition of 5 % of mud). For samples with lower addition of waste zeolite, leaching mechanism is diffusion, whereas at higher additions, the leaching mechanism is wash-off. Identification of forming hydrated products was carried out using Fourier transform infrared technique.