Calcium aluminate cement as an alternative to ordinary Portland cement for the remediation of heavy metals contaminated soil: mechanisms and performance

Purpose: This work deals with the application of a solidification/stabilization process with the aim to obtain safe and reusable granular materials from a polluted soil and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the retention of several heavy metals. Materials and methods: The High Performance Solidification/Stabilization (HPSS®) process was applied to the selected contaminated soil by using both ordinary Portland cement and calcium aluminate cement, as well as several binders prepared by combining these two types of cement in different proportions. Leaching and mechanical tests were carried out to evaluate the performances of the proposed binders in the pellets produced by the HPSS® process, while XRD analysis and SEM/EDX imaging were used to investigate the phase composition and internal microstructure of the treated samples. Result and discussion: The examination of the obtained granular materials revealed that the immobilization of Sb was mainly related to its inclusion within calcium silicate hydrates’ structure; the immobilization of Cr, Pb, Ni, Co, Zn and Tl was associated with the eluate pH and their incorporation within ettringite structure, while for Se, Cu, Ba and V, the main retention mechanism was physical encapsulation. In addition, the application of a wet conditioning process improved the materials’ performance, leading to granules always satisfying the Italian regulatory requirements for reuse. Conclusions: The findings obtained in this study were useful to better elucidate the mechanisms involved in the retention of heavy metals by several binders, contributing to the development of sustainable management strategies for contaminated soils and sediments through their transformation into reusable materials. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]