Characterization of Volcano-Sedimentary Rocks and Related Scraps for Design of Sustainable Materials

This work started as a joint academia and company research project with the aim of finding
new applications for domestically sourced volcanic products and related waste (pumice, lapillus,
zeolitic tuff and volcanic debris from Tessennano and Arlena quarry) by creating a database of
secondary volcanic raw materials and their intrinsic characteristics to help industry replace virgin
materials and enhance circularity. In this context, accurate chemical, mineralogical, morphological,
granulometric and thermal characterizations were performed. Based on the results presented, it can
be concluded that due to their lightness, these materials can be used in the design and preparation of
lightweight aggregates for agronomic purposes or in the construction field. Furthermore, due to their
aluminosilicate nature and amorphous fraction, pumice and lapillus can play the role of precursor or
activator for geopolymer preparation. With its porous nature, zeolitic tuff can be exploited for flue
gas treatment. Due to the presence of feldspathic phase (sanidine), these materials can be used in
tile production as a fluxing component, and with their pozzolanic activity and calcium content, they
have application in the binder field as supplementary cementitious material or as aggregates.