Treatment of Bottom Ash Deriving from Waste Incineration
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Waste and Recycling".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 10
Special Issue Editors
Interests: mineralogy; crystal chemistry; environmental mineralogy; geochemistry; cultural heritage
Interests: silicate melts; crystallization kinetics; waste materials; construction and demolition waste (CDW); municipal solid waste bottom ash (MSW-BA)
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
As municipal solid waste incineration expands worldwide, incinerator bottom ash (IBA) has become a important stream for advancing circular, low-impact waste management. For decades, landfilling has been the default endpoint; however, concerns over long-term leaching, carbon footprint, and resource loss highlight the urgency of stabilization, metal recovery, and value-adding treatments that convert IBA into safe, specification-compliant secondary raw materials.
Realizing this transition will begin with rigorous mineralogical and chemical characterization—including phase assemblages, weathering/carbonation dynamics, contaminant speciation, and leaching behavior—to inform tailored treatments (aging, wet/mechanical processing, washing, accelerated carbonation, vitrification, geopolymerization) and performance-based end-of-waste pathways. Equally crucial are process integration and application testing in construction and geotechnics (e.g., unbound/bound aggregates, sub-base layers, geopolymers, ceramics), together with environmental and techno-economic assessments (such as LCA) and compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks.
This Special Issue invites original research articles and reviews. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Advanced characterization of IBA and treated IBA (mineralogy, chemistry, imaging, synchrotron/neutron methods, micro- to macro-scale).
(b) Leaching and durability: Aging/weathering, carbonation kinetics, eco-toxicity, and long-term performance.
(c) Process innovation: Metals recovery (ferrous/non-ferrous), washing/granulation, accelerated carbonation, thermal and alkali activation, vitrification/melting, and geopolymer binders.
(d) Engineering applications: Aggregates in concrete/asphalt, hydraulically bound materials, ceramics, lightweight products, specification compliance, and quality control.
(e) Risk, policy, and end-of-waste: Testing protocols, standards, permitting, and market uptake.
(f) Sustainability metrics: LCA/LCC, carbon sequestration by carbonation, and socio-economic impacts.
By assembling advances in IBA treatment and valorization, this Special Issue aims to accelerate the shift from disposal to safe, high-value reuse, supporting resilient and circular resource flows.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Luciana Mantovani
Dr. Paola Stabile
Dr. Maximiliano Fastelli
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- incinerator bottom ash (IBA)
- circular waste management
- metal recovery
- carbonation and weathering
- geopolymers and vitrification
- construction and geotechnical applications
- leaching and eco-toxicity
- life cycle assessment (LCA)
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