Using industrial waste as part of the raw material to produce cement-based materials is considered to be a sustainable cement and concrete materials production method. Coal gasification fly ash (hereafter CGFA) is a solid waste produced during the coal gasification process. Similar to pulverized coal fly ash (hereafter PCFA), it is also a kind of fly ash discharged from combustion coal furnaces. With the development of coal gasification technology, more and more CGFA needs to be treated. Based on the successful experience of PCFA as a supplementary cementitious material in cement-based materials, CGFA is used as a supplementary cementitious material in this paper. A comparison of the performance of two coal-based fly ashes as a supplementary cementitious material (hereafter SCM) was conducted. The effects of two fly ashes on the fluidity and strength of cement mortar were discussed, and the mechanism was analyzed from the mineral composition and morphology of hydration products. At the same time, the properties of CGFA and ultrafine CGFA (UFCGFA) as an SCM were compared. The results show that CGFA has more negative effects on the fluidity of cement mortar than PCFA. But it has a greater contribution to the strength of cement mortar than PCFA. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that the active components of CGFA participate in the hydration reaction faster, showing a stronger pozzolanic reactivity than PCFA. Ultrafine treatment of CGFA not only improves the pozzolanic activity but also reduces the negative effect on the fluidity of cement mortar. The contribution of UFCGFA to the fluidity and strength of cement mortar can be greatly improved.

This study prepares a magnetite (Fe₃O₄)-based Fenton-like catalyst based on the residual carbon separated from coal gasification slag as a support by the chemical precipitation method. The catalysts are characterized using XRD, SEM-EDX, and N₂ adsorption-desorption methods. In the process, the adsorption capacity, catalytic activity under various conditions, and catalyst reusability were evaluated with methylene blue as the target pollutant. According to SEM results, Fe₃O₄ particles are attached to the pore and surface of the residual carbon support and have good dispersion. BET findings demonstrate that Fe₃O₄/residual carbon catalyst has a greater surface area and pore volume than residual carbon support. The removal efficiency of MB by adsorption of Fe₃O₄/residual carbon catalyst is less than 10% after 120 min. But 2.4Fe-UC catalyst shows 2-h removal rates of 98% when the optimum removal efficiency of MB is under the following conditions: 2.5 mmol/L H₂O₂, 0.2 g/L catalysts for 50 mg/L MB at an initial pH of 3. Notably, outstanding catalytic stability and reusability of the 2.4Fe-RC catalyst have been revealed as it can be reused 6 times with>80% of the MB removal efficiency.

Wollastonite is a natural meta-silicate mineral material with fibrous characteristics. In this paper, wollastonite with different aspect ratios obtained after grinding was used as a mineral admixture to replace cement for preparing ultra-high-toughness cement-based composites (UHTCCs). The effects of wollastonite on the fluidity, compressive strength, flexural strength, and tensile properties of UHTCCs were investigated, and the crack morphology and micro-topography of the tensile specimens after fracture were observed. The experimental results show that when the wollastonite replacement ratio exceeds 4%, it exerts a negative effect on the fluidity of UHTCCs, and wollastonite with a larger aspect ratio has a more significant negative impact. Relying on the bridging effect, replacing cement with wollastonite can significantly improve the flexural strength and compressive strength of UHTCCs. However, when the replacement ratio exceeds 6%, the strength enhancement effect of wollastonite with a larger aspect ratio begins to decrease. When the cement replacement ratio of wollastonite is up to 6%, it can increase the initial cracking strength, tensile strength and tensile strain of UHTCCs. At the same replacement ratio, wollastonite with a larger aspect ratio shows a better reinforcing effect. According to the observation of post-fracture crack morphology, the cracks of UHTCCs change from the original smooth cracks to tortuous ones after cement is partially replaced by wollastonite. Replacing a part of cement with wollastonite optimizes the performance relationship among PE fibers, the matrix, and the PE fiber–matrix interface, and it enhances their synergistic effect. This not only raises the initial tensile cracking strength of UHTCCs but also improves its tensile strain. In particular, wollastonite with a larger aspect ratio exhibits a more pronounced reinforcing effect.