Abstract
One of the most polluting industries is the cement industry and, for this reason, alternative lines of research recommend the use of substitute materials for traditional Portland cement. This study proposes the use of industrial (slag and fly ash) and ceramic wastes for the total or partial replacement of Portland cement in the manufacturing of both alkaline-activated and hybrid cements. To carry out this study and evaluate the behavior of the proposed materials, different mortars were manufactured: Portland cement (CEM I), two alkaline-activated slag systems and six hybrid systems, with an 80–20% waste-to-Portland-cement ratio for all the proposed wastes. An assessment of the pozzolanic activity was carried out for the different materials. The behavior of all the systems regarding mechanical resistance and durability to abrasion was studied. All the proposed materials, especially those with ceramic wastes, showed pozzolanic activity and suitable characteristics for use in the manufacturing of alternative cements. The mortar made of slag activated with waterglass presented the highest mechanical strength and lowest porosity, but the hybrid materials presented competitive results. After being subjected to the Böhme abrasion test, their effectiveness as substitutes for Portland cement is reiterated, some of them improving their durability to wear.
Highlights
Over the last century, the temperature of the Earth’s surface has increased by around 1 ◦ C, sea levels have risen by about 19 cm on average globally and the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is the highest in the last 800,000 years
Regarding the most significant Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results, the presence of an intense band located around ca. 800–1000 cm−1 is observed in all materials, which is attributed to the presence of SiO4 groups, to asymmetric tensions of the O-Si-O bonds [8]
In the case of fly ash and both ceramic wastes, it appears slightly above 1000 cm−1. This is because all the materials are aluminosilicates, but fly ash and ceramic wastes have a higher aluminum content, causing the band to shift toward a higher wavenumber
Summary
The temperature of the Earth’s surface has increased by around 1 ◦ C, sea levels have risen by about 19 cm on average globally and the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is the highest in the last 800,000 years. All of this is mainly a consequence of industrial activity and the waste it produces. The cement industry is among the most highly polluting industries, being the source of approximately 8–9% of the world’s CO2 emissions [1]. An alternative line of research to Portland cement is the use of different industrial wastes from other sectors such as thermal power plants (fly ash) [6,7], the steel industry (blast furnace slag) [8,9]
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