Utilization of thermal-activated copper tailings as a partial substitute for cement: a promising approach

L. Wang; H. Fang; P.  Chen; Z. Zong; P. Qian; X. Wang

doi:10.3989/mc.2025.383324

Authors

L. Wang School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1783-4277
H. Fang School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2399-8253
P. Chen School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Science and Technology - State Key Laboratory of Mining Response and Disaster and Control in Deep Coal Mines, Anhui University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5538-617X
Z. Zong School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4466-9363
P. Qian School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0475-3760
X. Wang School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6196-4968

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/mc.2025.383324

Keywords:

Copper tailings, Thermal activation, CaO, Hydration, Compressive strength

Abstract

This study proposed thermal activation to activate copper tailings and investigated the effects of the temperature of thermal activation on the hydration properties, pore structure, and compressive strength of thermally activated CT (TCT) pastes. The results indicate that thermal activation slightly refines the particle size of CT and induces the decomposition of CaCO₃, leading to the formation of highly reactive CaO. Compared to raw CT, the addition of calcined CT in the pastes resulted in a greater quantity of early hydration products, with increases of 0.34%—5.6% in C-S-H and ettringite, and approximately 0.9%—15.7% in Ca(OH)₂. These changes facilitated a reduction in paste porosity, resulting in a more densified structure. Consequently, the compressive strength of TCT pastes increased by 6.8%—20.6% at 3d, by 5%—16.9% at 7d, and by 1.2%—13.5% at 28d. Therefore, the proposed thermal activation CT can be a promising cement substitution.

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