Yuxi Jiangchuan: Industrial waste residues 'turning waste into treasure' to support green transportation development

　　Source: Economic Network 2024-10-16 15:47

　　In order to deeply practice the concept that green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver, Yuxi Transportation Development Investment Co., Ltd. collaborated with Yunnan Jiaofa Consulting Co., Ltd. to conduct high-value research on the phosphogypsum solid waste from Jiangchuan Jiangphosphate Group, and laid an experimental road for engineering applications in the Jiangphosphate Group factory area, turning industrial waste into treasure and promoting green transportation development.

　　Recently, Yuxi Transportation Development Investment Co., Ltd. and Yunnan Jiaofa Consulting Co., Ltd. held a site meeting for the phosphogypsum-based pavement experimental road in the Jiangphosphate Group factory area, inviting over 120 experts from the highway industry in Yunnan Province, including the Yunnan Provincial Highway Association, Provincial Design Institute, Provincial Public Science Institute, Yuxi City Transportation Bureau, and City Highway Bureau for on-site observation and guidance.

　　A road constructed solely from phosphogypsum and other solid waste materials has already been put into use in the factory area, and it looks no different from a sand and gravel concrete pavement. According to Yang Junjie, the chief engineer of Yuxi Transportation Development Investment Co., Ltd., the pavement design width ranges from 6.5 to 16.6 meters, with a length of 300 meters and a total area of about 3,000 square meters. The road structure includes phosphogypsum trench backfill, stabilized phosphogypsum base layer, phosphogypsum compacted concrete base layer, and phosphogypsum concrete pavement, achieving high-value utilization of solid waste. "Phosphogypsum is very solid and can be used like sand. We found that using ordinary cement as a binding material was not feasible, so we invested a lot of technical personnel to tackle the problem, and eventually developed this technology. Now Jiangphosphate Group produces 500,000 tons of phosphogypsum annually. If we use it as sand and gravel material, it can protect the environment and reduce the cost of quarrying, while saving 30% to 35% of construction investment, achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement."

　　Yang Junjie stated that phosphorus is an important raw material for industrial production, and products made from yellow phosphorus are widely used. Phosphogypsum is an industrial by-product generated during the production of yellow phosphorus using the electric furnace method, typically producing about 8 to 10 tons of phosphogypsum for every ton of yellow phosphorus produced. According to investigations, Yunnan Province produces over 400,000 tons of yellow phosphorus annually, resulting in approximately 4.5 million tons of phosphogypsum, making its disposal a challenging issue. Based on Yunnan's "Guiding Opinions on the Comprehensive Utilization of Major Solid Waste during the 14th Five-Year Plan", which accelerates the province's green development, promotes innovative development, and implements actions for efficient resource utilization, Yunnan Jiaofa Consulting Co., Ltd. and Yuxi Transportation Development Investment Co., Ltd. developed phosphogypsum-based concrete pavement tailored to the characteristics of phosphogypsum. This concrete is a new type formed by mixing phosphogypsum as aggregate with various solid waste materials such as phosphogypsum, water slag, and carbide slag, creating a micro-powder material as a binding agent, marking the first instance in Yunnan Province of using phosphogypsum and other solid waste materials as substitutes for aggregate.

　　Yang Junjie said, "Next, we will strive for some small projects to verify its durability, and we can also develop some small prefabricated components, as well as permeable bricks, because it has less filling material and larger voids, allowing rainwater to easily permeate. Therefore, we can use it in urban roads, sidewalk bricks, and other areas."

　　Phosphogypsum-based concrete not only avoids environmental pollution during cement production but also significantly enhances the recycling of solid waste materials. It is a green and environmentally friendly pavement material that will be applied in more engineering projects in the future, promoting the transportation industry towards a more sustainable direction. (Zhang Yanfen, Zhang Yanjing)