Spray dried absorption products (SDA) having special characteristics are used as substitutes for cement in the preparation of mortars; the qualities of the resulting mixed mortars are described. Conditions are described for mortar mixes, data for which were presented at the MRS Fall Meeting 1987.

The influence of the composition of the SDA on water requirement and setting time has been studied. A full scale project involving 3 precast, reinforced concrete front-elements containing 20 and 30 wt.% SDA is described. Strength development, mineralogical composition and corrosion were monitored for two years.

A non-standard freeze-thaw experiment was performed which compares mortars containing SDA and fly ash (FA) and also shows the effect of superplasticizer.

The possibility of improving the SDA by grinding has been tested and a limited improvement has been found. The strength of the mixed mortars seems slightly influenced by the grain size of SDA

Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), synthetic calcium-sulphite (CaSO3·½H2O) and 2 SDAs have been used as retarders for cement clinker. Mortar test prisms have been cast and comparative strengths after curing for 3 years are reported

The generation of undesirable ashes from municipal and hazardous waste incineration, and from coal-fired power plants has become a serious environmental problem. Ash contains heavy metals and/or unburned organics, and the disposal of this material is drawing increased concern from the public and government agencies. Since the leaching of a toxic constituent from a powder is proportional to the surface area of the powder, any method of consolidation is welcome. The interest of such a consolidation process would be greatly increased if, in addition to making this material safe, a commercially useful material could be produced. Conventional methods of heating such as oil-fired furnaces require large flows of air. They are also time and energy consuming because it is relatively difficult to heat up a powder. Microwave processing creates rapid heating and allows for the attainment of uniformly high temperatures; therefor, it is a viable alternative. However, most ashes will not easily absorb microwaves if they do not contain a phase that couples with the microwaves. Transition metal oxides are lossy materials when submitted to microwave radiation. If they are mixed into ashes in a sufficient amount, they will generate heat, cause sintering and reduce the surface area of the powder. In the present work, coal ash-derived bricks and tiles were successfully obtained. Details of processing, mechanical properties and chemical durability of these consolidated ceramics are presented