Applying machine learning random forest (RF) method in predicting the cement products with a co-processing of input materials: Optimizing the hyperparameters

• Published in: Environmental research 2024-05, Vol.248, p.118300-118300, Article 118300
• Main Authors: Kim, Jin Hwi, Lee, Dong Hoon, Mendoza, Joseph Albert, Lee, Min-Yong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cement; Heavy metals; Input materials; Machine learning; Random forest
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118300

Co-processing recycled waste during cement production, i.e., using alternative materials such as secondary raw materials or secondary raw fuels, is widely practiced in developed countries. Alternative raw materials or fuels contain high concentrations of heavy metals and other hazardous chemicals, which might lead to the potential for dangerous heavy metals and hazardous chemicals to be transferred to clinker or cement products, resulting in exposure and emissions to people or the environment. Managing input materials and predicting which inputs affect the final concentration is essential to prevent potential hazards. We used the data of six heavy metals by input raw materials and input fuels of cement manufacturers in 2016–2017. The concentrations of Pb and Cu in cement were about 10–200 times and 4 to 200 times higher than other heavy metals (Cr, As, Cd, Hg), respectively. We profiled the influence of heavy metal concentration of each input material using the principal component analysis (PCA), which analyzed the leading causes of each heavy metal. The Random Forest (RF) ensemble model predicted cement heavy metal concentrations according to input materials. In the case of Cu, Cd, and Cr, the training performance showed R square values of 0.71, 0.71, and 0.92, respectively, as a result of predicting the cement heavy metal concentration according to the heavy metal concentration of each cement input material using the RF model, which is a machine learning model. The results of this study show that the RF model can be used to predict the amount and concentration of alternative raw materials and alternative fuels by controlling the concentration of heavy metals in cement through the concentration of heavy metals in the input materials. [Display omitted] •Heavy metal concentrations in South Korean cements were assessed.•The role of inputs materials used was an important influence factor.•RF model can expect the concentration of Cu, Cr, Cd in input materials.•This model is only applied to analyzable inputs.