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The article discusses the effect of additives of waste mineral wool fibers on geopolymer binder. This is an important study in terms of the possibility of recycling mineral wool waste. The paper describes an effective method for pulverizing the wool and the methodology for forming geopolymer samples, labeled G1 for glass-wool-based geopolymer and G2 for stone-wool-based geopolymer. The compressive and flexural strengths and thermal conductivity coefficient of the geopolymer with the addition of mineral fibers were determined. The key element of the article is to verify whether the addition of mineral wool fibers positively affects the properties of the geopolymer. The results obtained prove that the addition of fibers significantly improves the flexural strength. For the G1 formulation, the ratio of compressive strength to flexural strength is 18.7%. However, for G2 samples, an even better ratio of compressive strength to flexural strength values of 26.3% was obtained. The average thermal conductivity coefficient obtained was 1.053 W/(m·K) for the G1 series samples and 0.953 W/(m·K) for the G2 series samples. The conclusions obtained show a correlation between the porosity and compressive strength and thermal conductivity coefficient. The higher the porosity, the better the thermal insulation of the material and the weaker the compressive strength.

Globally, as human population and industries grow, so does the creation of agricultural, industrial, and demolition waste. When these wastes are not properly recycled, reused, or disposed of, they pose a threat to the environment. The importance of this study lies in the beneficial use of coconut fibre and mineral wool in the form of fibres in cement mortar production. This study examines the use of coconut and mineral wool fibres in the production of fibre-reinforced mortar. Five different mortar mixtures were prepared, having one control mortar along with four fibre-reinforced mortars. The control mortar is denoted as CM while 1% and 1.5% of mineral wool are incorporated into this mortar mix and denoted as RMM-1.0 and RMM-1.5, respectively. Additionally, the mortar sample configurations contain 1% and 1.5% coconut fibers, designated as RCM-1.0 and RCM-1.5. These samples were subjected to different strength and durability tests to determine their suitability for use in mortar production. The testing findings show that mortar containing 1.5% mineral wool has better compared flexural strength and durability properties. The investigation results will form part of the database for the efficient utilization of natural and waste fibres in the construction and building sectors.

Green roofs are nature-based solutions that allow greenery to be integrated into the building envelope, making it possible to re-nature cities while providing multiple benefits. However, whether green roofs are a source or sink of pollution in the urban environment is still a controversy. One of the causes of the possible deterioration of the quality of runoff water from green roofs is the substrate. Green roofs based on rock mineral wool (RMW) growing media require thinner substrate layers or can even be substrate-less. In the present study, four green roof systems based on RMW have been studied over the course of 2 years. Their performance, in terms of leachate quality, has been compared with two traditional roofs, a green roof with pozzolana as a draining material and a gravel-ballasted conventional flat roof. Limit values for wastewater quality from international regulations were considered benchmark. The main conclusions were that after the first flush, which was observed for all solutions, generally exceeding the limit values, RMW-based solutions performed better than traditional solutions. Furthermore, the average values of leachates from all tested green roofs and especially those from RMW solutions fall within the limits set by international regulations.

This study investigates the coupling effect of mechanically activated nepheline-syenite (NS) and mineral wool melt waste (MWMW) on the physical–mechanical properties of a ceramic body. The results indicate that an optimal amount (10–20%) of NS additive promotes the formation of the smallest pore size from 0.001 to 0.01 µm, as well as improves physical, mechanical, and durability properties of the ceramic samples with MWMW, when fired at temperatures between 1000 and 1080 °C. As the NS content increases, the composition becomes more alkaline, leading to enhanced vitrification and the formation of a glass phase during firing. This reduces open porosity, modifies pore size distribution, and enhances compressive strength and frost resistance. An NS content of 15% produces the best results, increasing the smallest pore fraction and yielding favourable properties, such as reduced open porosity, water absorption and density, increased compressive strength, and does not affect the linear shrinkage. The frost resistance test demonstrates that the coupling effect of NS additive and MWMW improves the samples’ resistance to freeze–thaw cycles, with the best performance observed at 15% NS content. The study also highlights the usefulness of structural parameters and ultrasound testing for assessing and predicting the frost resistance of ceramic samples.

This literature review critically examines the incorporation of mineral wool waste (MWW), a byproduct of insulation materials, into new construction materials as a sustainable recycling strategy. Covering research published between 2000 and 2025, the review focuses on the effects of MWW on various material properties and performance, including concrete, mortar, alkali-activated materials (AAMs), geopolymers (GPs), building ceramics, and asphalt. Experimental evidence demonstrates that MWW can enhance or alter the performance of these materials, offering promising opportunities for waste valorization. The review also identifies challenges related to optimizing material compositions and production methods, and highlights the need for further research to facilitate the industrial-scale application of MWW-recycled construction materials. By synthesizing current knowledge, this work aims to inform sustainable development and circular economy practices in the construction sector.

The main purpose of a liquid binder in the composition of mineral wool products is to bond individual fibers to each other to create a strong and elastic structure. The combined use of an organic (phenol-formaldehyde resin) and an inorganic binder based on cold dissolution liquid glass is accompanied during their mechanical mixing by the formation of complex carbon-silicon compounds, which stabilize the formation of chelate compounds with an orienting effect of silicon ion during heat treatment, converting the polymer structure to a more ordered and dense structure with additional bridging hydrogen bonds. This process is accompanied by the parallel development of a polycondensation reaction of the organic binder and methylol groups and curing of the liquid glass. The presence of intramolecular bonds between the organic and inorganic parts of the binder increases the bond strength of the mineral fibers when forming the structure of fibrous thermal insulation materials by 20 – 30% with a slight increase in their water absorption. Limited use of cold dissolution liquid glass additives (not more than 0.4%) allows a reduction in the total consumption of organic binder by 20 – 25% with the possibility of reducing the required amount of mineral part by up to 10 – 15% while maintaining the required strength and operational properties of finished heat-insulating products.

The development of low-carbon alkali-activated binders based on production waste is one of the most sought-after areas of development of building materials science. The article examines the results of studies of the structures of cupola dust and the assessment of its ability to hydrate when exposed to alkaline activation. Technological preparation of dust by sifting it through a 0.16 mm sieve and subsequent mechanical activation for 120 s to a specific surface area of 733 m2/kg is proposed. The best results were shown by the composition of cupola dust with an alkaline activator of 50 wt.% 8.3 M NaOH and 50 wt.% Na2SiO3. After 28 days of natural hardening for this composition, the bending strength was 12.7 MPa and the compressive strength was 68.3 MPa. The analysis of the influence of hardening conditions showed that the temperature–humidity treatment of concrete at a temperature of 90 °C for 12 h accelerates the process of curing to 80–90% of natural conditions. The porosity of the samples after heating was established, which is 24–25%. The mineralogical composition of the products of the cement matrix structure’s formation, which is represented by minerals of the zeolite group, was specified.

The total annual volume of mineral wool waste in the 27 European Union countries is expected to increase to 2.5 million tons per year by 2020. Unfortunately, mineral wool wastes are often considered unrecyclable, because their physical characteristics make them difficult to process. In many cases, the problem is caused by the material’s fibrousness. However, no studies have considered comminution methods for mineral wools. The objective of the present study is to investigate how various comminution mechanisms affect mineral wools’ physical characteristics, including appearance, bulk density, and fiber length and width. The study’s results show that compression-based methods (vibratory disc mill and hydraulic press) completely break down mineral wools’ fibrousness, whereas methods based on high cutting speeds affect bulk density and fiber length only moderately. In addition, the present study identifies a rapid method that can be used in a novel way to analyze a large number of mineral wool fibers.

Buildings that are designed to meet high-energy performance requirements, e.g., passive houses, require well-insulated building envelopes, with increased insulation thicknesses for roof, wall and floor structures. We investigate whether there are differences in the efficiency of thermal insulation materials at different moisture levels in the insulation and if there is a larger or smaller risk of natural convection in wood-fibre based insulation than in mineral wool. The work has mainly been performed by use of laboratory measurements included permeability properties and full-scale measurements of thermal transmittance of mineral wool and wood-fibre insulated constructions. In addition, calculations have been used to calculate resulting effects on the thermal performance of constructions. Results showed that the thermal conductivity was unaffected by moisture in the hygroscopic range. The air permeability was found to be approximately 50% higher for the wood-fibre insulation compared to mineral wool insulation. Measurements showed that the largest U-values and Nusselt numbers were found for the wall configuration. Calculation of the U-value of walls showed that in order to achieve the same U-value for the wood-fibre insulated wall as the mineral wool, it is necessary to add 20 mm insulation to the 250 mm wall and approximately 30 mm for the 400 mm wall.

This paper presents a parametric study for the bending stiffness of mineral wool (MW) sandwich panels subjected to a bending load. The MW panels are commonly used as wall panels for industrial buildings. They provide excellent insulation in the case of fire. In this research, the performance of sandwich panels is investigated at both ambient and elevated temperatures. To reach that goal, a finite element (FE) model is developed to verify simulations with experimental results in normal conditions and fire case. The experimental investigation in the current paper is a part of STABFI project financed by Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS). The numerical study is conducted using ABAQUS software. Employing simulations for analysis and design is an alternative to costly tests. However, in order to rely on numerical results, simulations must be verified with the experimental results. In this paper, after the verification of FE results, a parametric study is conducted to observe the effects of the panel thickness, length and width, as well as the facing thickness on the bending stiffness of MW sandwich panels at normal conditions. The results indicate that the panel thickness has the most significant effect on the bending stiffness of sandwich panels.