Evaluation of thermal power plant slag and basalt for cement production according to European standards

Abstract

In the context of the cement industry under pressure to reduce CO₂ emissions, the use of mineral additives has emerged as an important strategy for lowering clinker content and improving the long-term durability of cement. However, the European standard EN 197-1 does not include provisions for some mineral additives that are widely used in Vietnam, such as bottom ash from coal-fired power plants and basalt. Therefore, investigating the incorporation of basalt and coal bottom ash as mineral additives in cement within the EN 197-1 framework is crucial for overcoming current obstacles to the use of these materials, particularly since Vietnam is developing its national cement standards to align with EN 197-1. This paper presents the results of evaluating the properties and suitability of several sources of coal bottom ash and basalt (materials currently used by Vietnamese cement plants) as mineral additives for the production of CEM II Portland composite cement in accordance with EN 197-1. All experimental data in this study were obtained from the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction research project RD 17-24.