Various examples related to portland cement manufacturing using municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ash are provided. In one example, a method includes providing a raw kiln feed including MSWI to a kiln, forming ash-amended clinker (ACK) by heating the raw kiln feed in the kiln, and preparing ash-amended cement (AAC) from the ACK. The MSWI bottom ash can make up about 5% by mass or less of the raw kiln feed. The ACK can have a chemical composition that meets ASTM C150/ASTM C595, and the AAC can include arsenic, barium, copper, and lead consistent with defined Soil Cleanup Target Levels. In another example, a system includes a kiln, a kiln feed system that supplies raw kiln feed including MSWI bottom ash to the kiln, and a finish mill that grinds ACK formed by heating the raw kiln feed in the kiln to form AAC.

Various examples related to portland cement manufacturing using municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ash are provided. In one example, a method includes providing a raw kiln feed including MSWI to a kiln, forming ash-amended clinker (ACK) by heating the raw kiln feed in the kiln, and preparing ash-amended cement (AAC) from the ACK. The MSWI bottom ash can make up about 5% by mass or less of the raw kiln feed. The ACK can have a chemical composition that meets ASTM C150/ASTM C595, and the AAC can include arsenic, barium, copper, and lead consistent with defined Soil Cleanup Target Levels. In another example, a system includes a kiln, a kiln feed system that supplies raw kiln feed including MSWI bottom ash to the kiln, and a finish mill that grinds ACK formed by heating the raw kiln feed in the kiln to form AAC.

Methods for producing pozzolanic or latent hydraulic cement clinker substitutes may involve calcining clay with a fuel comprising a mineral substance at temperatures in the range from 500 to 1250 C., preferably from 550 to 1150 C., most preferably from 700 to 900 C. A resulting mixture of mineral substance from the fuel and the calcined clay forms a pozzolanic or latent hydraulic cement clinker substitute, in which a fraction of the mineral substance incorporated into the pozzolanic or latent hydraulic cement clinker substitute by the fuel is 1-60% by weight.

Methods for producing pozzolanic or latent hydraulic cement clinker substitutes may involve calcining clay with a fuel comprising a mineral substance at temperatures in the range from 500 to 1250 C., preferably from 550 to 1150 C., most preferably from 700 to 900 C. A resulting mixture of mineral substance from the fuel and the calcined clay forms a pozzolanic or latent hydraulic cement clinker substitute, in which a fraction of the mineral substance incorporated into the pozzolanic or latent hydraulic cement clinker substitute by the fuel is 1-60% by weight.

The invention provides a process for producing a cement clinker comprising: (i) mixing one or more starting materials providing each at least one or more of CaO, SiO.sub.2, AI.sub.2O.sub.3, and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3; and, optionally, SO.sub.3, to form a raw meal comprising CaO, SiO.sub.2, AI.sub.2O.sub.3, and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3; and, optionally, SO.sub.3, wherein the molar ratios among the aforementioned oxides is given by Formula I: S(CaO).sub.1(SiO.sub.2).sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.b(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.c(SO.sub.3).sub.d, wherein: a is comprised from 0.05 to 1, b is comprised from 0.1 to 0.6, c is comprised from 0.001 to 0.25, and d is comprised from 0 to 0.3 and wherein at least 35% (p/p) of the starting materials of the raw meal have a critical microwaves absorbance temperature (Tc) comprised from 15 to 650 C. and a critical microwaves absorbance time (tc) comprised from 1 min to 1 h; (ii) heating the raw meal by irradiating with microwaves during 15 min to 3 h to reach a sintering temperature comprised from 300 to 950 C.; (iii) maintaining the microwave sintering temperature of step (ii) during 1 min to 3 h by further irradiating with microwaves; and (iv) cooling the clinker obtained in step (iii).

The invention provides a process for producing a cement clinker comprising: (i) mixing one or more starting materials providing each at least one or more of CaO, SiO.sub.2, AI.sub.2O.sub.3, and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3; and, optionally, SO.sub.3, to form a raw meal comprising CaO, SiO.sub.2, AI.sub.2O.sub.3, and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3; and, optionally, SO.sub.3, wherein the molar ratios among the aforementioned oxides is given by Formula I: S(CaO).sub.1(SiO.sub.2).sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.b(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.c(SO.sub.3).sub.d, wherein: a is comprised from 0.05 to 1, b is comprised from 0.1 to 0.6, c is comprised from 0.001 to 0.25, and d is comprised from 0 to 0.3 and wherein at least 35% (p/p) of the starting materials of the raw meal have a critical microwaves absorbance temperature (Tc) comprised from 15 to 650 C. and a critical microwaves absorbance time (tc) comprised from 1 min to 1 h; (ii) heating the raw meal by irradiating with microwaves during 15 min to 3 h to reach a sintering temperature comprised from 300 to 950 C.; (iii) maintaining the microwave sintering temperature of step (ii) during 1 min to 3 h by further irradiating with microwaves; and (iv) cooling the clinker obtained in step (iii).

An activated pozzolan composition includes a fine interground particulate blend of an initially unactivated natural pozzolan and a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) different than the initially unactivated natural pozzolan. The initially unactivated natural pozzolan may include volcanic ash or other natural pozzolanic deposit having a moisture content of at least 3%, and the activated pozzolan composition can have a moisture content less than 0.5% The initially unactivated natural pozzolan may have a particle size less than 1 mm before intergrinding with the SCM. The SCM used to activate the initially unactivated natural pozzolan can be initially coarse or granular with a size greater than 1-3 m and may include granulated blast furnace slag, steel slag, other metallurgical slag, pumice, limestone, fine aggregate, shale, tuff, trass, geologic material, waste glass, glass shards, basalt, sinters, ceramics, recycled bricks, recycled concrete, refractory materials, other waste industrial products, sand, or natural mineral.

An activated pozzolan composition includes a fine interground particulate blend of an initially unactivated natural pozzolan and a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) different than the initially unactivated natural pozzolan. The initially unactivated natural pozzolan may include volcanic ash or other natural pozzolanic deposit having a moisture content of at least 3%, and the activated pozzolan composition can have a moisture content less than 0.5% The initially unactivated natural pozzolan may have a particle size less than 1 mm before intergrinding with the SCM. The SCM used to activate the initially unactivated natural pozzolan can be initially coarse or granular with a size greater than 1-3 m and may include granulated blast furnace slag, steel slag, other metallurgical slag, pumice, limestone, fine aggregate, shale, tuff, trass, geologic material, waste glass, glass shards, basalt, sinters, ceramics, recycled bricks, recycled concrete, refractory materials, other waste industrial products, sand, or natural mineral.

Systems and methods of the present invention include a method for the treatment of drilling wastes and coal combustion residues, comprising combining at least a first drilling waste with coal combustion residues to form a paste, combining at least a second drilling waste with coal combustion residues to form a compactable fill, and placing the paste and the compactable fill in a landfill. Other embodiments include a method of treating drilling wastes and coal combustion residues, comprising combining at least one drilling waste with a coal combustion residue to form a paste. Further embodiments include containing the paste within at least one geotextile container. Still further embodiments include placing the geotextile container in a landfill.

An activator composition for a non-OPC hydraulically-active material comprises CaO or lime and a polycarboxylate-ether-based (PCE) superplasticiser, and is mixable with a hydraulically active material comprising ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and/or pulverized fuel ash (PFA) to form a cementitious binder. The cementitious binder does not comprise any Portland cement and is, therefore, more environmentally friendly.