Resource Recovery in Building Materials: Developing Eco-Friendly Driven Sustainable Binders or Aggregates from Solid Waste
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 376
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sustainable disposal process; solid waste resource utilization; heavy metal solidification; carbon neutralization and capture; mineral waste management and disposal; sustainable circular solid waste-based binders; long-term stability regulation of solid waste
Interests: sustainable disposal process; fractal dimension analysis of particle gradation; interfacial transition zone (ITZ) optimization; micro-crack propagation resistance; recycled aggregate concrete
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The construction industry, while fundamental to global development, faces critical sustainability challenges stemming from the environmental impacts of conventional binders and the extraction of virgin aggregates. These processes account for 8–10% of global CO2 emissions, alongside severe resource depletion and waste accumulation. Meanwhile, massive industrial solid waste is piled up, occupying land resources and polluting the environment, thereby affecting the sustainable development of society. In alignment with circular economy principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this Special Issue focuses on transforming solid wastes—particularly mining/metallurgical (M&M) residues, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, and industrial by-products—into next-generation eco-friendly driven sustainable binders (EDSBs) or aggregates (EDSAs) via innovative processing methods.
This Special Issue aims to advance systemic solutions that address the entire value chain of waste valorization, encompassing particle engineering and reactivity modulation, as well as performance optimization and environmental impact mitigation. We prioritize interdisciplinary advancements in mining, civil engineering, environmental science, sustainable development, and social innovation. Submissions should emphasize scientific breakthroughs in the following domains but not limited to:
(1) Sustainable Recycling Technologies: Multi-scale characterization of M&M tailings, C&D waste, and industrial by-products. Process Innovations in eco-friendly driven waste disposal: Hybrid sorting technologies, mechanochemical activation, CO2 mineralization, and recycling for recovering high-purity materials.
(2) Waste Valorization Methods: Enhancing reactivity through physicochemical activation, amorphous phase reconstruction, and synergistic effects. Recycling into aggregates for concrete, road bases, or embankments; repurposing inert materials such as backfill or landscaping substrates; and using processed waste in precast elements further reducing contamination.
(3) EDSBs / EDSAs Recycling Science and Mechanism: For EDSBs: Chemical excitation, physical filling, and coupled microaggregate effects. For EDSAs: Fractal dimension analysis of particle gradation, interfacial transition zone (ITZ) optimization, and micro-crack propagation resistance. Heavy metal encapsulation mechanisms, pH-dependent leaching behavior, and strategies for mitigating ecotoxicity.
(4) Multi-criteria Characterization and Sustainability Validation: Machine-learning-enhanced life cycle assessment (LCA), dynamic materials flow analysis, and techno-economic modeling of industrial symbiosis networks. Regulatory barriers, long-term performance certification protocols, and circularity metrics for built environments.
We aspire to inspire the global community to reimagine waste as a resource and advance the vision of a zero-waste, low-carbon built and mining-filling environment. We invite submissions to redefine waste not as an endpoint but as the foundation of tomorrow's built and mining-filled environment. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.
We look forward to your groundbreaking contributions, which will chart the course toward carbon-neutral infrastructure and sustainable mining filling development.
Dr. Fan Wang
Dr. Gang Ma
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- eco-friendly driven sustainable binders
- eco-friendly driven sustainable aggregates
- mining/metallurgical (M&M) residue re-utilization
- construction and demolition (C&D) waste re-utilization
- industrial by-products re-utilization
- physicochemical activation
- harmless disposal
- long-term stability of heavy metal
- fractal dimension of waste particles
- synergistic processing effect
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