Peloid is a natural product developed during the maturation process between a clay material and water and is used in health and wellness centres due to its mineralogical, physiochemical and biological properties. However, the potential therapeutic value of clays in Portugal has not been fully investigated. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to identify the effects of two mineralized waters: thermo-mineral water (sulphurous and hydroxylated water abundant in chloride ions, sodium and calcium) and seawater, on three residual soils from Alentejo, from a morphological, mineralogical and chemical perspective. The peloids morphology is more homogeneous than the residual soils, and the particle size decreases during the maturation process. Thermo-mineral water enriched the peloids in smectite (58-76 %), while seawater newly formed Na-minerals (decreasing smectite contents to 39-54 %). Smectite is essentially montmorillonite, although there is nontronite and beidelite. The residual soils and peloids have a silicilastic composition (32.23-52.85 %), between 14.22 and 20.53 % of Al2O3, and besides smectite, the mineralogical composition is composed of salts (only in seawater peloids), feldspars, iron oxides, carbonates, and quartz. Morphology and mineralogy enhance the influence of waters in peloids properties and suggest that this samples have potential therapeutic value. Furthermore, physicalchemical, rheological, thermal and biological analysis are needed to support these findings.

Mechanical alterations in shale formations due to exposure to water-based fracturing fluids and supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2) significantly affect the performance of shale gas exploration and CO2 geo-sequestration. In this study, a hydrothermal (HT) reaction system was set up to treat Longmaxi shale samples of varying mineralogies (carbonate-, clay-, and quartz-rich) with different fluids, i.e. deionized (DI) water, 2% potassium chloride (KCl) solution, and ScCO2 under HT conditions expected in shale formation. Statistical micro-indentation was conducted to characterize the mechanical property alterations caused by the shale-fluid interactions. An in situ morphological and mineralogical identification technique that combines scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and backscattered electron (BSE) imaging with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to analyze the microstructural and mineralogical changes of the treated shale samples. Results show no apparent changes in the Young's modulus, E, and hardness, H, after treatment with DI water under room temperature (20 degrees C) and atmospheric pressure for 7 d. In contrast, E and H were decreased by 31.2% and 37.5% at elevated temperature (80 degrees C) and pressure (8 MPa), respectively. The addition of 2% KCl into DI water mitigated degradation of the mechanical properties. Quartz-rich shale specimens are the least sensitive to the water-based fracturing fluids, followed by the clay-rich and carbonate-rich shale formations. Based on in situ morphological and mineralogical identification, the primary factors for the mechanical degradation induced by water-based fluids include carbonate dissolution, clay swelling, and pyrite oxidation. Slight increases in the measured E and H and compression of porous clay aggregates were observed after treatment with ScCO2. The major factor contributing to the mechanical changes resulting from the exposure to scCO2 appears to be the competition between swelling caused by adsorption and compression of shale matrix. (c) 2025 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

If building loads cannot be transferred into the soil, ground improvements are often used, which require the addition of cement with considerable emissions of CO2. Thermo-mechanically processed crushed concrete fines can partially replace the required cement. This article deals with comprehensive laboratory tests to improve the soil mechanical properties of a typical sand as a building ground and demonstrates the applicability of thermo-mechanically processed concrete fines for the substitution of 25 wt.-% to 50 wt.-% of cement for practical construction purposes. Processing temperatures of 400 degrees C and 600 degrees C proved to be particularly effective, with greater reductions in strength and stiffness occurring outside this temperature range.

The thermal effect has a significant impact on the activation and slip characteristics of fractures. In this study, four pairs of granite fractures were treated by temperatures T ranging from 25 degrees C to 900 degrees C. The fractures were then employed to carry out triaxial unloading-induced shear slip experiments. The step unloading of confining pressure s3 was used as a disturbed stress to activate fractures that were in a near-critical stress state. The slip characteristics, frictional behaviors, as well as damage modes of fractures with different T, were systematically investigated. The results show that at T = 25 degrees C and 300 degrees C, no stick-slip events were observed, and the slipping process of the fractures was characterized by aseismic slip and creep, respectively. For T = 600 degrees C and 900 degrees C, the fractures slipped stably, with occasional interruptions by episodic stick-slip events. Ultimately, they entered the dynamic slip stage after a series of consecutive stick-slip episodes. With increasing T, the number of sheared-off asperities increases due to thermal damage, which in turn leads to an increase in the occurrence of stick-slip events. The slip modes of the fractures transited from friction strengthening to friction weakening. As T increased from 300 degrees C to 900 degrees C, a considerable quantity of generated gouge layer acted as a lubricant for the slipping of fractures. This resulted in a notable increase in the proportion of aseismic slip, which rose from 24% to 54%. As the temperature increased from 25 degrees C to 900 degrees C, the crack length increased exponentially from 2.975 mm to 45.349 mm. For T = 600 degrees C and 900 degrees C, the duration between stick-slip events decreased as stick-slip events occurred more frequently. (c) 2025 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

The effects of cyclic heat treatments on the fracture shear behaviors are rarely reported. To enhance our understanding, granite fractures having almost the same roughness were first exposed to cyclic heating at 400 degrees C and air-cooling treatments, and then direct shear tests were performed under four levels of normal loading. The influences of thermal cycles on roughness degradation and shear properties are analyzed. The roughness degradation in the joint roughness coefficient and the three-dimensional (3D) roughness metric exhibit linear increasing tendency with increasing thermal cycles. Typical fracture shear properties, including cohesion and friction angle, peak and residual shear strength, peak and residual shear displacement, and initial and secant shear stiffness, fluctuate generally within the first 10 thermal cycles, followed by gradual decreasing tendencies. The thermal effect on the shear properties become weaker as the number of heat treatments increases from 10 to 80. Nonuniform expansion and shrinkage of mineral grains after thermal treatments produce micro-cracks within the rock matrix and on the rock surface, suggesting that asperities are easier to be sheared-off. Thermal alteration in fracture peak-shear strength could be attributed to the deterioration in rock strengths and the mismatch in opposing fracture walls. The observations would provide better insights into rock friction after high temperatures in geothermal energy exploitation. (c) 2024 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

One of the major negative environmental implications of economic growth and the advancement of information technology is the large quantity of electronic waste dumped in landfills. Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from outdated televisions and computer monitors are a significant source of electrical waste. The CRT funnel primarily consists of silica, significant alkalis (Na2O-K2O), and heavy metals like barium-strontium, along with a substantial lead (Pb) content that may contaminate the soil. Owing to its heavy metal content, CRT is considered hazardous waste, and regulations require its glass to be recycled or repurposed instead of landfill disposal. The low pozzolanic activity of CRT silica suggests that its high content, when paired with an optimized particle size and specific curing conditions, can enhance the mechanical properties of cement-based products. Hydrothermal treatment has been found to speed up both the hydration of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and the pozzolanic reactions. Since the main objective was to safely recycle large amounts of CRT, three mixes were proposed with 10%, 20%, and 30% OPC + 90%, 80%, and 70% CRT, respectively, and the effect of hydrothermal curing conditions on mechanical properties and durability of these blends was investigated. CRT-70, a blend containing 70% CRT glass waste, showed enhanced strength due to the formation of zeolitic phases and calcium silicate hydrate (CSH). These phases also provided CRT-70 with notable fire resistance, ensuring its structural stability under elevated temperatures. These results demonstrate the possibility of production of precast building products via high-volume recycling of hazardous CRT waste.

Construction spoil (CS), a prevalent type of construction and demolition waste, is characterized by high production volumes and substantial stockpiles. It contaminates water, soil, and air, and it can also trigger natural disasters such as landslides and debris flows. With the advent of alkali activation technology, utilizing CS as a precursor for alkali-activated materials (AAMs) or supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) presents a novel approach for managing this waste. Currently, the low reactivity of CS remains a significant constraint to its high-value-added resource utilization in the field of construction materials. Researchers have attempted various methods to enhance its reactivity, including grinding, calcination, and the addition of fluxing agents. However, there is no consensus on the optimal calcination temperature and alkali concentration, which significantly limits the large-scale application of CS. This study investigates the effects of the calcination temperature and alkali concentration on the mechanical properties of CS-cement mortar specimens and the ion dissolution performance of CS in alkali solutions. Mortar strength tests and ICP ion dissolution tests are conducted to quantitatively assess the reactivity of CS. The results indicate that, compared to uncalcined CS, the ion dissolution performance of calcined CS is significantly enhanced. The dissolution amounts of active aluminum, silicon, and calcium are increased by up to 420.06%, 195.81%, and 256.00%, respectively. The optimal calcination temperature for CS is determined to be 750 degrees C, and the most suitable alkali concentration is found to be 6 M. Furthermore, since the Al O bond is weaker and more easily broken than the Si O bond, the dissolution amount and release rate of active aluminum components in calcined CS are substantially higher than those of active silicon components. This finding indicates significant limitations in using CS solely as a precursor, emphasizing that an adequate supply of silicon and calcium sources is essential when preparing CS-dominated AAMs.

This study investigated the microstructure transformation observed in an aging diesel -contaminated soil after thermochemical treatment (DT 150 degrees C + PS ) to explore its impact on engineering reusability. Three thermal remediation procedures (i.e., DT 150 degrees C , DT 350 degrees C , and DT 550 degrees C ) were selected as the control group. The results show that: (a) Pyrolytic carbon was produced in the DT 350 degrees C and DT 550 degrees C , while none was produced in DT 150 degrees C and DT 150 degrees C + PS ; (b) Iron -based minerals and organic matter in DT 150 degrees C + PS , DT 350 degrees C , and DT 550 degrees C were combusted and decomposed to release the Fe(II) substances; under stronger oxidation environments, Fe(II) substances would further transform into more stable Fe(III) substances; and (c) Halloysites and illites were formed in DT 350 degrees C , palygorskites and cordierites were formed in DT 550 degrees C , and oxidation in DT 150 degrees C + PS produced the sulfate minerals. The formed sulfate minerals in the DT 150 degrees C + PS sample filled pores and provided the skeleton strength, resulting in high unconfined compressive strength and poor permeability. Using a self -developed assessment model, only the DT 150 degrees C + PS sample showed an improvement (calculated as 2.96 x 10 - 5 ) in engineering performance and other methods led to the deterioration of soil mechanical properties. Thermochemical treatment is more suitable for engineering reuse, and this study can provide a theoretical basis for evaluating the greener reusability of contaminated soil after thermal or thermochemical remediation.