Accelerated carbonation of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash for alternative aggregate production

Municipal solid waste incinerated bottom ash (MSWI-BA) is a byproduct from waste incineration process, which is used mainly as replacement of sand and natural aggregates in road foundations and concrete pavements. Usually, MSWI-BA undergoes a maturation treatment before being used by exposing it to the atmosphere for a period of minimum 18 weeks. This study investigates an accelerated carbonation process for MSWI-BA maturation, which aims to enhance both its engineering properties and its environmental sustainability. The results demonstrate significant improvements in shortening treatment duration without compromising physical properties such as density and water absorption while concurrently reducing greenhouse gas emissions through CO2 sequestration. These findings have established that accelerated carbonation could be an effective maturation technique for MSWI-BA, thus offering new insights for its practical implementation in waste management and resource recovery strategies.