Agricultural waste ash in the domain of sustainable concrete

Abstract

The agricultural industry is a major global key. After the processing of agricultural products, an abundant amount of agricultural waste is generated and most of them are used as a combustion fuel in the industries that results in the final product agricultural waste ashes (AWA). The most commonly available AWA are rice husk ash (RHA), neem seed husk ash (NHA), palm oil fuel ash (PFA), sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA), corn cob ash (CCA), bamboo leaf ash (BLA), coconut shell ash (CSA) and wood waste ash (WA). These AWA when not properly utilized pollutes air, water, and soil. Effective utilization of these AWA in the production of sustainable and eco-friendly products leads to the reduction of environmental pollution. The production of concrete involves huge amounts of natural resources or raw materials. The production of concrete is not an environmentally friendly process. This paper reviews the use of AWA as pozzolan in producing sustainable concrete. After the review, it is noticed that the reactive silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) present in the AWA help in the enhancement of the performance of concrete and reduce the production cost of concrete.