Raw mixes containing pulverized coal fly ash (with limestone and silica sand) or fluidized bed coal combustion ash (fly and bottom, with added limestone, anodization mud, and, when necessary, flue gas desulfurization gypsum), aimed at generating ordinary Portland or calcium sulfoaluminate clinkers, respectively, were heated in a laboratory electric oven at temperatures ranging from 1150° to 1500°C and submitted to X-ray diffraction analysis. The former had the same qualitative phase composition as that of a reference mixture, composed by limestone and clay; furthermore, they exhibited an excellent burnability on the basis of their residual free lime contents, measured after heating at 1350°, 1400°, 1450°, and 1500°C. The latter showed very good results in terms of conversion of reactants and selectivity degree toward the main mineralogical constituent, calcium sulfoaluminate (4CaO·3Al₂O₃·SO₃), even if the behavior of a reference mixture consisting of limestone, bauxite, and natural gypsum was slightly better. The introduction of a fluidized bed coal combustion ash in the raw mix generating calcium sulfoaluminate clinker implies a saving of bauxite and natural gypsum, which can be fully replaced through the addition of anodization mud and flue gas desulfurization gypsum, respectively.

Surfaces of commercial molybdenum (Mo) plates have been textured by fs-laser treatments with the aim to form low-cost and efficient solar absorbers and substrates for thermionic cathodes in Concentrated Solar Power conversion devices. Morphological (SEM and AFM), optical (spectrophotometry), and structural (Raman spectroscopy) properties of the samples treated at different laser fluences (from 1.8 to 14 J/cm²) have been characterized after the laser treatments and also following long thermal annealing for simulating the operating conditions of thermionic converters. A significant improvement of the solar absorptance and selectivity, with a maximum value of about four times higher than the pristine sample at a temperature of 800 K, has been detected for sample surfaces treated at intermediate fluences. The effects observed have been related to the light trapping capability of the laser-induced nanotexturing, whereas a low selectivity, together with a high absorptance, could be revealed when the highest laser fluence was employed due to a significant presence of oxide species. The ageing process confirms the performance improvement shown when treated samples are used as solar absorbers, even though, due to chemical modification occurring at the surface, a decrease of the solar absorptance takes place. Interestingly, the sample showing the highest quantity of oxides preserves more efficiently the laser texturing. The observation of this behaviour allows to extend the applicability of the laser treatments since, by further nanostructuring of the Mo oxides, it could be beneficial also for sensing applications.