Nurdana Kanasheva

The growing accumulation of industrial waste and the depletion of natural mineral resources underscore the need for sustainable approaches to producing ceramic and construction materials. Among the most promising secondary raw materials are coal combustion by-products and metallurgical slags, which are suitable for ceramic applications. This review summarizes recent advances in the use of coal ash, blast furnace and steelmaking slags, together with clay-based raw materials, for the fabrication of ceramic and composite materials. Special attention is given to the physicochemical properties of technogenic raw materials and their effects on sintering, porosity, densification, mechanical strength, and thermal stability. Modern processing methods, including pressing and high-temperature firing, are also discussed. The influence of key technological parameters, such as oxide composition, particle size distribution, firing temperature, and activation conditions, is analyzed. In addition, the review examines major challenges related to raw material heterogeneity, structural instability, thermal stress development, cracking, free CaO reactivity, and environmental risks associated with heavy metal leaching. Recent studies show that incorporating industrial waste into ceramic systems reduces waste disposal, natural resource consumption, energy use, and CO₂ emissions, while promoting sustainable and resource-efficient technologies. Ash- and slag-based ceramics therefore remain highly promising materials for construction applications.

The valorization of industrial solid wastes into construction materials represents an important pathway toward resource efficiency and carbon reduction in the building sector. In this study, sustainable kaolinitic clay-based ceramics were developed using ternary blends of steel slag (SS), coal fly ash (CFA), and recycled waste glass bottle-derived powder (WGBP). The effects of WGBP content and firing temperature on phase evolution, microstructural development, densification behavior, and key physico-mechanical properties were systematically investigated. The results show that at intermediate temperatures (1000–1100 °C), the addition of 5 wt% WGBP promotes liquid-phase sintering, leading to enhanced densification, reduced water absorption, and compressive strengths up to 44 MPa, whereas higher glass contents at elevated temperature induce over-fluxing and pore entrapment, reducing strength despite comparable density. XRD, FTIR, and SEM analyses confirm the progressive vitrification and structural reorganization of the aluminosilicate matrix. The sustainability assessment identifies the 5 wt% WGBP formulation as the most balanced option, combining adequate mechanical performance with lower energy demand and CO₂ emissions. Overall, the proposed approach provides a technically viable and resource-efficient route for the integrated utilization of multiple industrial wastes in construction ceramics.

Low additions of untreated copper smelting slag improve ceramic densification and performance while maintaining low leachability of hazardous elements.

This study outlines a method for preparing a complex involving glycoluril and melamine (GU-ME). The structure of the resultant complex was analyzed using IR and NMR spectroscopy. In the subsequent phase, the polymer GUMEFA was derived from the resultant complex, employing hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid (HEDP) as a sustainable plasticizer, with a proposed chemical mechanism for its formation. The molecular weight of the resulting GUMEFA was analyzed, and the formation chemistry was proposed. GUMEFA was characterized, and its free formaldehyde and methylol group contents were investigated. It was observed that GUMEFA prepared with HEDP contained approximately 1.15–1.34 wt.% free formaldehyde and 1.56–0.54 wt.% methylol groups. These findings provide valuable insights for developing resins of different compositions and applications, thereby paving the way for producing composite materials with tailored properties.

Due to traumatic injuries, including those from surgical procedures, adhesions occur in over 50% of cases, necessitating exclusive surgical intervention for treatment. However, preventive measures can be implemented during abdominal organ surgeries. These measures involve creating a barrier around internal organs to forestall adhesion formation in the postoperative phase. Yet, the effectiveness of the artificial barrier relies on considerations of its biocompatibility and the avoidance of adverse effects on the body. This study explores the biocompatibility aspects, encompassing hemocompatibility, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial and antioxidant activities, as well as the adhesion of blood serum proteins and macrophages to the surface of new composite film materials. The materials, derived from the sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose modified by glycoluril and allantoin, were investigated. The research reveals that film materials with a heterocyclic fragment exhibit biocompatibility comparable to commercially used samples in surgery. Notably, film samples developed with glycoluril outperform the effects of commercial samples in certain aspects.

This study evaluated the biological and chemical properties of a new synthetic polymer, glycoluryl-melamine-formaldehyde resin (GUMEFR), obtained using different plasticizers such as hydrochloric (HCl) and oxyethylenediphosphonic acid (OEDP). Special attention was paid to the determination of hemolytic activity, antibacterial properties and free formaldehyde content in the obtained samples, since these parameters are of key importance for the possible application of the material in biomedical and industrial applications. The free formaldehyde content in the GUMEFR samples differed depending on the plasticizer used. The samples obtained using concentrated HCl showed the highest formaldehyde concentration, which amounted to 1.29 wt%. This fact indicates that the choice of plasticizer significantly affects the chemical composition of the final product and may influence its subsequent biological properties. In addition to chemical analysis, the biological properties of the obtained samples, such as hemolytic and antibacterial activity, were investigated. The results showed that all GUMEFR samples had low hemolytic activity, indicating the potential biocompatibility of the material. According to ISO 10993-4:2017, these samples can be classified as hemocompatible, confirming their potential suitability for medical applications such as implants or other medical devices that interact with blood. The antibacterial activity of all tested samples was at a high level, which is presumably due to the release of formaldehyde from the GUMEFR polymer structure into the growth medium. The high antibacterial activity opens up the possibility of using the material in areas requiring protection against bacterial contamination, such as in the production of packaging for medical devices or in the food industry. In addition, given the combination of high hemocompatibility and significant antibacterial activity, the GUMEFR polymer could find applications in a wide variety of fields, including biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, biocompatible materials manufacturing, as well as water purification and other industries that require materials with antimicrobial properties. Further research can be directed towards optimizing the synthesis conditions and modifying the structure of GUMEFR to enhance its biological properties and expand its application area.