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Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Environmental Remediation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 563

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230002, China
Interests: solid waste reutilization; geopolymers; heavy metal; thermal treatment; hazardous waste

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Guest Editor
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230002, China
Interests: resource recovery and safe disposal of solid waste; thermochemical treatment; biochar; biomass energy ; CCUS
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230002, China
Interests: sediment remediation; heavy metal; microbial community mechanism; advanced oxidation processes; bio-char

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solid waste generation is inevitable with human activities, and harmless methods for recycling materials or energy should be developed for solid waste treatment. Solid waste is often complex and has limited reutilization ability. Thus, the process mechanism of recycling valuable products from solid waste must be further explored. Additionally, the waste–waste disposal collaboration enables a practical cost for recycling. Therefore, the co-disposal method of solid waste should be further developed in relation to recycling valuable resources. To date, considerable research has been conducted regarding co-disposal, including municipal, metallurgical, mining, and agroforestry solid waste. The aims of co-disposal recycling are to encourage their reuse as building materials (geopolymers and aggregates), as well as to improve energy production and environmental functional materials for waste gas/water/solid treatment (bio-char, catalysts, and zeolite). The transport and transformation behavior of pollutants in solid waste has been addressed, ecological and human health risk assessments have been performed, and the recycling process mechanism has been explored. Therefore, this Special Issue focuses on the co-processing of solid waste and its conversion into valuable products using cost-saving methods. As such, the performance of the resulting products was optimal and enhanced, and pollutants have been explored in order to determine their transport and transform mechanisms.

Dr. Xinyuan Zhan
Dr. Binhai Cheng
Dr. Rui Deng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • co-disposal process
  • solid waste reutilization
  • heavy metals transport
  • building and cementitious materials
  • thermal treatment
  • geopolymer
  • pyrolysis oil or gas
  • phase change material
  • risk assessment

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

29 pages, 13314 KiB  
Article
Development of Unfired Clay Bricks with Alumina Waste from Liquid Nitrogen Production: A Sustainable Alternative for Construction Materials
by Noppadol Sangiamsak, Nopanom Kaewhanam, Meesakthana Puapitthayathorn, Seksan Numsong, Kowit Suwannahong, Sukanya Hongthong, Torpong Kreetachat, Sompop Sanongraj and Surachai Wongcharee
Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6424; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146424 - 14 Jul 2025
Viewed by 248
Abstract
A major breakthrough in environmentally friendly building materials is the development of sustainable unfired clay bricks including alumina waste produced during liquid nitrogen generation. Though used extensively, conventional fired clay bricks require energy-intensive manufacturing techniques that produce significant amounts of CO2 and [...] Read more.
A major breakthrough in environmentally friendly building materials is the development of sustainable unfired clay bricks including alumina waste produced during liquid nitrogen generation. Though used extensively, conventional fired clay bricks require energy-intensive manufacturing techniques that produce significant amounts of CO2 and aggravate environmental damage. By removing the need for high-temperature firing and allowing for the valorization of industrial byproducts including alumina waste and lateritic soil, unfired clay bricks offer a reasonable low-carbon alternative. High silica and alumina contents define the alumina waste, which shows pozzolanic reactivity, thus improving the physicomechanical performance of the bricks. With alumina waste substituting 0–8.57% of the cement content, seven different formulations showed improvements in compressive strength, reduced water absorption, and optimal thermal conductivity. Especially, the mechanical performance was much enhanced with alumina waste inclusion up to 30%, without sacrificing thermal insulation capacity or moisture resistance. Further supporting the environmental and financial sustainability of the suggested brick compositions is the economic viability of using industrial waste and regionally derived soils. A comparative analysis of the conventional fired bricks shows that the unfired substitutes have a much lower environmental impact and show better mechanical properties, including greater compressive strength and modulus of rupture. These results support the more general goals of circular economy systems and low-carbon urban development by highlighting the feasibility of including alumina waste and lateritic soil into sustainable building materials. Using such waste-derived inputs in building fits world initiatives to lower resource consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and build strong infrastructure systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Environmental Remediation)
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