Improving Mechanical Properties of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete by Sugar Sediment

Abstract

The comparison of microstructure and mechanical properties between the autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) and the autoclaved aerated concrete consist of sugar sediment (AAC-SS) was investigated in this work. The microstructure of AAC and AAC-SS was analyzed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical properties of AAC and AAC-SS were focused on the compressive strength, the density, the water absorption and the flexural strength. To comfirm the tobermorite phase, the phase formation of the samples was tested using X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the microstructure of AAC and AAC-SS surface was the finer needle-like crystalline morphology. The compressive strength (5.9 N/mm2) and flexural strength (1.82 N/mm2) of AAC-SS were higher than that of the AAC (5.0 N/mm2 and 1.64 N/mm2). While, the value of density (0.60 g/cm3) and humidity (23.59%) of AAC-SS had little less than that of the AAC (0.61 g/cm3 and 24.11%). The increasing of the tobermorite phase, which was added by the sugar sediment, had affected to the improvement of the mechanical properties. The specimens of both AAC and AAC-SS were claimed in quality class of 4, which based on the Thai Industrial Standard 1505-1998.