In-situ formation of LDH/zeolite nanocrystals in alkali-activated materials for efficient lead-zinc tailings stabilization.

In-situ formation of LDH and zeolite in alkali-activated materials achieves over 96% heavy metal immobilization and reduces carbon emissions by 66% in lead-zinc tailings stabilization.

• Why it matters: Heavy metals in lead-zinc tailings pose significant environmental risks, and current cement-based stabilization methods are costly and environmentally damaging, necessitating more sustainable solutions.
• What they did: The study used slag and sodium aluminate to activate alkali-activated materials, promoting in-situ formation of LDH, zeolite, and C-(A)-S-H phases, and investigated their capacity to immobilize lead and chromium.
• The result: The NA system demonstrated superior heavy metal immobilization, achieved a compressive strength of 5.25 MPa with 80 wt% tailings, and significantly lowered carbon emissions, enabling eco-friendly tailings stabilization.