Construction and demolition wastes (CDW) face low recycling rates due to the absence of reliable and industrially feasible quantification method for valorization. This study explores quantifying mixed construction materials through their homogenization, a novel proposal, and chemometric modeling. The problem materials were homogenized in known proportions for the acquisition of a statistical number of chemical data. Short-wave infrared and Raman spectroscopy (applied here for the first time) provided data for two independent models. Principal Component Analysis and Improved Kernel Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis were employed for model construction. These models were successfully applied to a real CDW sample from a Spanish management plant, yielding comparable results. This cost-effective methodology allows the quantification of stony aggregates within CDW, enhancing their recycling potential in the ceramic sector. Addressing the scarcity of reliable CDW quantification procedures, this approach and the use of Raman technique hold promise for advancing CDW valorization and sustainability.

authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programmes ICEBERG (No. 869336) and CHARISMA grant (No. 952921) for their financial support. María Fern´andez-´Alvarez acknowledges the financial support from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR (Grant No FJC2021-047888-I).

Supplementary material associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107259

Peer reviewed