Table 2 Amorphous phase content, mineralogical composition, and associated pre-treatments of various SCMs

Material	Amorphous phase	Major crystalline phases^a	Activation required?^b	Refs.
GGBFS	Ca-Al-Si (~95%)	Quartz, gypsum, calcite	Industrial (quenching)	^61,62
FA	Al-Si (~60%)	Quartz, mullite	Industrial (from combustion)	⁶⁴
LP	–	Calcite, dolomite
SS	Ca-Si (~17–40%)	Larnite, magnetite, brownmillerite, wustite	Mechanical/chemical/mineral carbonation	^{41,164,339,340}
RM	Little to none	Cancrinite, calcite, diaspora, kaolinite, hematite	Mechanical/thermal/chemical	³⁴¹
CBA	Porous Si	Quartz, mullite	Mechanical/thermal/chemical	^342,343,344
WBA	Si	Quartz, calcite, anhydrite, maghemite	Mechanical/thermal/chemical	^89,345,346
MTP	Low to none	Quartz, biotite, microcline, hematite, chlorite	Mechanical/thermal/chemical^d	⁴⁴
IOTP	–	Quartz, calcite, muscovite, magnetite, albite, microcline	Mechanical/thermal/chemical^d	⁴⁴
GT	–	Quartz, microcline, albite, muscovite	Mechanical/thermal/chemical^d	⁴⁴
GRT	–	Quartz, muscovite	Mechanical/thermal/chemical^d	⁴⁴
RHA	Si (>90%)	Quartz, calcite	Industrial (from combustion)	⁷¹
GP	Na-Ca-Si (~100%)		Mechanical (<100 μm)	^66,69,70
RCF	Variable^c	Portlandite, calcite, quartz, microcline, larnite	Mechanical/thermal/chemical/mineral carbonation	³⁴⁷
CC (MK)	Al-Si (~60%)	CC: quartz, illite;	Thermal	^72,73
		MK: quartz, anatase, mullite
NB	–	Quartz, kaolinite, montmorillonite	Thermal	^348,349
NP	Al-Si	Quartz, albite, sanidline	No, grinding improves	^78,79,80,350
NBP	–	Diopside, albite, anorthite	Mechanical/thermal	^351,352,353
DE	Si (~90%)	Quartz, illite	No, if high-purity	^76,77

^aListed crystalline phases are representative; actual phase composition may vary depending on source and processing.
^bActivation refers to pre-treatment processes required to enhance material’s reactivity for use as SCMs. The amorphous phases of GGBFS, FA, and RHA are typically generated during industrial thermal processing.
^cThe amorphous phase content of RCF is highly variable and depends on the source and grade, i.e., it may include Ca-Si glass if residual amorphous C-S-H or unreacted cement present.
^dThe effectiveness of different activation methods depends on the chemical and minerological properties of raw tailings and the control of activation conditions⁴⁴.

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