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The Use of Biomaterials in the Construction Sector

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 14258

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Dr. Paolino Caputo

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Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy
Interests: bitumen; polymer science; rheology; colloidal systems; food characterization
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomaterials have recently gained widespread acceptance in research, and curiosity about their potential applications is constantly growing—in particular, the use of materials derived from waste and other bioprocesses in a way that facilitates a lower environmental impact, transforming a waste product into a valuable resource for the realization of a new product (circular chemistry). This initiative, termed End of Waste (EoW), is increasingly being adopted in the production and application of biomaterials in the industrial sector.

The main focus of this Special Issue is sharing the progress in research on the use of biomaterials, in particular those derived from waste as additive products to use in the construction sector, for example, in the road pavement sector. Research studies, articles, as well as reviews are welcome regarding the process description, innovation, and ideas on the transformation of waste materials into products which can be utilized in the construction sector. Knowledge regarding the type of materials, molecules, and their potential effectiveness in synthesizing products which can maintain or even improve the quality of construction materials in today’s industry is of interest.

Dr. Paolino Caputo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

biomaterials
waste materials
construction sector
industrial sector

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 4728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pyrolysis and Gasification of a Real Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF): The Potential Use of the Products under a Circular Economy Vision

by Michela Alfè, Valentina Gargiulo, Michele Porto, Renata Migliaccio, Adolfo Le Pera, Miriam Sellaro, Crescenzo Pellegrino, Abraham A. Abe, Massimo Urciuolo, Paolino Caputo, Pietro Calandra, Valeria Loise, Cesare Oliviero Rossi and Giovanna Ruoppolo

Molecules 2022, 27(23), 8114; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238114 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2946

Abstract

Refuse-Derived Fuels (RDFs) are segregated forms of wastes obtained by a combined mechanical–biological processing of municipal solid wastes (MSWs). The narrower characteristics, e.g., high calorific value (18–24 MJ/kg), low moisture content (3–6%) and high volatile (77–84%) and carbon (47–56%) contents, make RDFs more suitable than MSWs for thermochemical valorization purposes. As a matter of fact, EU regulations encourage the use of RDF as a source of energy in the frameworks of sustainability and the circular economy. Pyrolysis and gasification are promising thermochemical processes for RDF treatment, since, compared to incineration, they ensure an increase in energy recovery efficiency, a reduction of pollutant emissions and the production of value-added products as chemical platforms or fuels. Despite the growing interest towards RDFs as feedstock, the literature on the thermochemical treatment of RDFs under pyrolysis and gasification conditions still appears to be limited. In this work, results on pyrolysis and gasification tests on a real RDF are reported and coupled with a detailed characterization of the gaseous, condensable and solid products. Pyrolysis tests have been performed in a tubular reactor up to three different final temperatures (550, 650 and 750 °C) while an air gasification test at 850 °C has been performed in a fluidized bed reactor using sand as the bed material. The results of the two thermochemical processes are analyzed in terms of yield, characteristics and quality of the products to highlight how the two thermochemical conversion processes can be used to accomplish waste-to-materials and waste-to-energy targets. The RDF gasification process leads to the production of a syngas with a H₂/CO ratio of 0.51 and a tar concentration of 3.15 g/m³. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Biomaterials in the Construction Sector)

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10 pages, 1974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aging Process Effects on the Characteristics of Vacuum Residue Oxidation Products with the Addition of Crumb Rubber

by Yerdos Ongarbayev, Ainur Zhambolova, Yerbol Tileuberdi, Zulkhair Mansurov, Cesare Oliviero Rossi, Pietro Calandra and Bagdat Teltayev

Molecules 2022, 27(10), 3284; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27103284 - 20 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1206

Abstract

This paper considers the effect of aging processes on viscoelastic characteristics of vacuum residue oxidation products modified with crumb rubber. Viscoelastic properties were compared to original bitumen raw material-vacuum residue and vacuum residue oxidation products during short-term and long-term aging. The complex shear modulus of the vacuum residue and its oxidation products decreased with an increase in temperature. Short-term aging resulted in increased shear modulus for all samples.The vacuum residue oxidation product modified with crumb rubber had the maximum values of the rutting parameter and fatigue parameter. There was an expansion of the temperature range of plasticity: for the vacuum residue oxidation product with crumb rubber, its value was 67.2 °C. The curves of the black diagram of the modified vacuum residue oxidation product are shifted towards smaller phase angles with the increase in the shear modulus, which indicates the increase in the stiffness and elasticity of the rubber bitumen binders. The vacuum residue oxidation product modified with crumb rubber corresponded to the rubber bitumen binder of the grade RBB 60/90, according to its physical and mechanical indicators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Biomaterials in the Construction Sector)

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38 pages, 11390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unlocking the Hidden Potential of Cosmetics Waste for Building Sustainable Green Pavements in the Future: A Case Study of Discarded Lipsticks

by Nader Nciri, Namho Kim and Arnaud Caron

Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1697; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051697 - 4 Mar 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3958

Abstract

This investigation is dedicated to unlocking the hidden potential of discarded cosmetics towards building green sustainable road pavements in the future. It is particularly aiming at exploring waste lipstick (WLS) as a high-quality functional additive for advanced asphalt mix technologies. To fuel this novel innovation, the effect of various WLS doses (e.g., 5, 10, and 15 wt.%) on the performance of base AP-5 asphalt cement was studied in detail. A wide array of cutting-edge analytical lab techniques was employed to inspect in-depth the physicochemical, microstructural, thermo-morphological, and rheological properties of resultant admixtures including: elemental analysis, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thin-layer chromatography-flame ionization detection (TLC-FID), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), needle penetration, ring and ball softening point, Brookfield viscometer, ductility, and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests. Unlike the unstable response of asphaltenes, the additive/artificial aging treatments increased the fraction of resins the most, and decreased that of aromatics; however, asphaltenes did not impair the saturates portion, according to Iatroscan research. FT-IR scan divulged that the WLS-asphalt interaction was physical rather than chemical. XRD diagnosis not only revealed an obvious correlation between the asphaltenes content and the fresh-binder crystallinity but also revealed the presence of fillers in the WLS, which may generate outstanding technical qualities to bituminous mixes. According to AFM/SEM analyses, the stepwise incorporation of WLS grew the magnitude of the “bee-shaped” microstructures and extended the roughness rate of unaged/aged binders. The prolonged consumption of the high thermal-stable additive caused a remarkable drop in the onset degradation and glass transition temperature of mixtures, thus enhancing their workability and low-temperature performance, according to TGA/DTGA/DSC data. The DSR and empirical rheological experiments demonstrated that the WLS could effectively lower the manufacturing and compaction temperatures of asphalt mixes and impart them with valuable anti-aging/fatigue-cracking assets. In a nutshell, the use of waste lipstick as an asphalt modifier is viable and cost-effective and could attenuate the pollution arisen from the beauty sector, while improving the performance of hot/warm asphalt mixes (HAM/WAM) and extending the service life of roadways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Biomaterials in the Construction Sector)

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20 pages, 7735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Study on New Alternative Binders through Re-Refined Engine Oil Bottoms (REOBs) and Industrial By-Product Additives

by Michele Porto, Paolino Caputo, Valeria Loise, Abraham A. Abe, Giulia Tarsi, Cesare Sangiorgi, Francesco Gallo and Cesare Oliviero Rossi

Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7269; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237269 - 30 Nov 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1920

Abstract

Recent studies have worked towards addressing environmental issues such as global warming and greenhouse gas emissions due to the increasing awareness of the depletion of natural resources. The asphalt industry is seeking to implement measures to reduce its carbon footprint and to promote sustainable operations. The reuse of several wastes and by-products is an example of a more eco-friendly activity that fulfils the circular economy principle. Among all possible solutions, the road pavement sector encourages, on one hand, the use of recycled materials as a partial replacement of the virgin lithic skeleton; on the other hand, it promotes the use of recycled materials to substituting for a portion of the petroleum bituminous binder. This study aims to use Re-refined Engine Oil Bottoms (REOBs) as a main substitute and additives from various industrial by-products as a full replacement for virgin bitumen, producing high-performing alternative binders. The REOBs have been improved by utilizing additives in an attempt to improve their specific properties and thus to bridge the gap between REOBs and traditional bituminous binders. An even larger amount of virgin and non-renewable resources can be saved using these new potential alternative binders together with the RAP aggregates. Thus, the reduction in the use of virgin materials is applied at the binder and the asphalt mixture levels. Rheological, spectroscopic, thermogravimetric, and mechanical analysis were used to characterize the properties, composition, and characteristics of the REOBs, REOB-modified binders, and asphalt mixes. Thanks to the rheological investigations of possible alternative binders, 18 blends were selected, since they behaved like an SBS-modified bitumen, and then they were used for producing the corresponding asphalt mixtures. The preliminary mechanical analysis of the asphalt mixtures shows that six mixes have promising responses in terms of stiffness, tensile resistance, and water susceptibility. Nevertheless, the high variability of recycled materials and by-products has to be taken into consideration during the definition of alternative binders and recycled asphalt mixtures. In fact, this study highlights the crucial effects of the chemical composition of the constituents and their compatibility on the behaviour of the final product. This preliminary study represents a first attempt to define alternative binders, which can be used in combination with recycled aggregates for producing more sustainable road materials. However, further analysis is necessary in order to assess the durability and the ageing tendency of the materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Biomaterials in the Construction Sector)

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Review

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23 pages, 1781 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biomaterials and Their Potentialities as Additives in Bitumen Technology: A Review

by Abraham A. Abe, Cesare Oliviero Rossi and Paolino Caputo

Molecules 2022, 27(24), 8826; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27248826 - 12 Dec 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3217

Abstract

The carbon footprint reduction mandate and other eco-friendly policies currently in place are constantly driving the trend of the synthesis and application of sustainable functional materials. The bitumen industry is not an exception to this trend and, every day, new technologies that facilitate safer, cost effective and more sustainable industrial processes and road paving operations are being researched and brought to light. A lot of research is currently ongoing to improve bitumen’s properties due to its use as a binder in road paving processes. Over the years, the most common method to improve bitumen’s properties has been with the use of additives. The major drawback in the use of these additives is the fact that they are substances of strong chemical nature which are either too acidic, too basic or emit toxic fumes and volatile organic compounds into the environment. In the long run, these chemicals are also toxic to the road pavement personnel that carry out the day to day industrial and paving operations. This led researchers to the initiative of synthesizing and applying biomaterials to be used as additives for bitumen. In this light, several studies have investigated the use of substances such as bio-oils, natural waxes, gum, polysaccharides and natural rubber. This literature review is aimed at classifying the different bio-based materials used to improve bitumen’s properties and to provide a deeper knowledge of the application of these biomaterials in bitumen technology. In general, we highlight how the research efforts elaborated herein could potentially foster safer, sustainable, eco-friendly approaches to improving bitumen’s properties while also promoting a circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Biomaterials in the Construction Sector)

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