In the present work, the stabilization/solidification of a Cr-rich ash obtained from the anoxic incineration of tannery hazardous wastes was studied. Chromium in the starting waste was exclusively in amorphous form and in trivalent state. The waste was embedded in fly ash-based cementitious material matrices. Calcium and sodium hydroxides, as well as sodium silicate, were used as activators. The proposed process combines mechanical activation with hydrothermal curing. Successful immobilization of chromium was achieved, as attested by standard leaching tests. Backscattered electron images revealed the existence of the C-S-H gel, and elemental mapping by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed a good interdispersion of chromate and aluminosilicate species, verifying that chromium was well distributed in the final amorphous cementitious matrix. X-ray diffraction confirmed the absence of Cr-rich crystalline phases of calcium aluminosilicates, where chromium can enter in hexavalent state. The stiffness of the stabilized samples was reduced with increasing the amount of added Cr-rich ash, as attested by measurements of the dynamic Young’s modulus.
X-ray elemental mapping techniques for elucidating the ecophysiology of hyperaccumulator plants