Past Investigations on Chemical and Mechanical Properties of Scallion (Spring Onion Leafs)

Abstract

The use of Scallion (onion leaf) in cementitious materials can contribute to the improvement of technological properties and environmental issues related to the reuse of agro-industrial waste. In our country Onion production is approximately 31.12 million tons per year, generating large environmental impacts, because the disposal in landfills . The objective of this research was to evaluate the potential of reusing the Scallion as Binding element in eco- friendly mortar for the purpose of recovering building structures committed to coastal environments, in addition to avoiding the disposal of this waste in landfills. The Scallion were characterized physically, morphologically and chemically, in the treated and untreated (natural) condition, for further technological evaluation of mortars in the fresh state, such as consistency, specific mass, incorporated air and water retention. Comprehensive studies of the hardened state were also carried out to study mechanical strength (compressive and tensile), water absorption due to capillarity and immersion, sorptivity as well as durability by evaluating mass loss and mechanical strength after exposure conditions. The results showed that the Scallion treatment process improved its characteristics for application in mortar with addition of 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 15% in cement mass, causing the better in the technological and durability properties, and a proposed new means of disposing of agro-industrial waste, contributing to a circular economy