Production of Eco-Friendly Geopolymer Concrete by using Waste Wood Ash for a Sustainable Environment

The waste disposal issues were the most severe problems that could cause global warming, which depletes the environment. The research hypothesis was to find the suitability and sustainability of utilizing the waste by-products in the invention of green geopolymer concrete to eliminate the tremendous effects caused by the wastes. Due to the increased demand for fly ash in recent years, the requirement of high alkaline activators, and elevated temperature for curing, there was a research gap to find an alternative binder. The novelty of this research was to utilize the waste wood ash, which is available plenty in nearby hotels and has an inbuilt composition of high potassium that can act as a self alkaline activator. Waste wood ash procured from the local hotels was replaced with fly ash by 0 to 100% at 10% intervals. The setting and mechanical characteristics were found on the prolonged ages to understand the influence of waste wood ash. Microstructural characterization was found using Scanning Electron Microscope and X-Ray Diffraction Analysis to define the impact of waste wood ash in the microstructure. The research findings showed that replacing 30% waste wood ash with fly ash attained better performance in setting properties and all mechanical parameters. The obtained optimum mix could provide the best alternative for fly ash in geopolymer to eliminate the economic thrust by the requirement of alkaline activators and deploy the environmental impact caused by the waste wood ash.

Geopolymer is an excellent binder material that belongs to the innovation of cement less concrete technology in the construction industry. The utilization of wastes in concrete has been growing well with incorporating in geopolymer concrete. Waste wood ash is the most spectacular waste material procured from all hotels. This study altered the fly ash with waste wood ash by varying the replacement percentages from 0 to 100% at 10% increment. The mechanical characterization was found to optimize the molarity of the alkaline activator, the solution to binder ratio, and the wood ash/fly ash ratio. The polypropylene fibre was added by 0–2% of volume fraction to improve the property of geopolymer in brittleness and crack resistance. In addition, the effects of adding polypropylene fibre on the mechanical properties of GPC were investigated. The research findings revealed the enhancement in compressive and tensile strength with 30% waste wood ash replacement. Further, the mechanical characters of GPC such as compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strengths were enhanced by 61%, 11%, and 12%, respectively, with the incorporation of 1% of polypropylene fibre. The research hypothesis focused on finding an alternate for fly ash, reducing alkaline activators quantity, and improving strength with PP fibre addition.KeywordsGeopolymer concreteWaste wood ashPolypropylene fibreSustainable GPCFly ash

Large quantities of paper and wood waste are generated every day, the disposal of these waste products is a problem because it requires huge space for their disposal. The possibility of using these wastes can mitigate the environmental problems related to them. This study presents an investigation on the feasibility of inclusion of waste paper ash (WPA) or wood ash (WA) as replacement materials for fly ash (FA) class F in preparation geopolymer concrete (GC). The developed geopolymer concretes for this study were prepared at replacement ratios of FA by WPA or WA of 25, 50, 75 and 100% in addition to a control mix containing 100% of FA. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) are used as alkaline activators with 1M and 10M of sodium hydroxide solution.The geopolymer concretes have been evaluated with respect to the workability, the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in the workability of the control GC mix and the developed GC mixes incorporating WPA or WA. Also, the results showed that, by incorporating of 25–50% PWA or 25% WA, the mechanical properties (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength) of GC mixes slightly decreased. While replacement with 75–100% WPA or with 50–100% WA has reduced these mechanical properties of GC mixes. As a result, there is a feasibility of partial replacement of FA by up to 50% WPA or 25% WA in preparation of the geopolymer concrete.

In order to minimise the environmental impact of the waste and its disposal processes and to reduce global warming by cement production, this study has focused on the demand. This research looked at how waste wood ash can be used to make geopolymer concrete beams and columns, which can be used to replace traditional reinforced concrete elements in the construction industry. Waste wood ash, a waste produced in the nearby hotel and manufacturing factories by burning the waste wood collected in the woodworking industry and throwing the ash to land causing considerable environmental pollution. Geopolymer is an innovative inorganically friendly, alkaline-based binding agent that stimulates the source material of aluminosilicate (such as metakaolin, fly ash and GGBS). For three types of concretes (30 percent WWA – 70 percent Fly ash Geo-polymer concrete, Fly ash Geo-polymer concrete, and Reinforced Cement Concrete), the mathematical formula for the behaviour of beams in deflection, ductility factor, flexural strength, and columns in load carrying ability, stress strain behaviour, and load-deflection behaviours were investigated in this study. The results showed that the inclusion of waste wood ash into geopolymer concrete contributed to the 42 and 28 percent increase of the capacity for beam and column. Furthermore, by replacing waste wood ash, the compotation of structural elements was improved in their rigidity and ductility. The derived mathematical equations were most suitable for the prediction of forecast.

A main global challenge is finding an alternative material for cement, which is a major source of pollution to the environment because it emits greenhouse gases. Investigators play a significant role in global waste disposal by developing appropriate methods for its effective utilization. Geopolymers are one of the best options for reusing all industrial wastes containing aluminosilicate and the best alternative materials for concrete applications. Waste wood ash (WWA) is used with other waste materials in geopolymer production and is found in pulp and paper, wood-burning industrial facilities, and wood-fired plants. On the other hand, the WWA manufacturing industry necessitates the acquisition of large tracts of land in rural areas, while some industries use incinerators to burn wood waste, which contributes to air pollution, a significant environmental problem. This review paper offers a comprehensive review of the current utilization of WWA with the partial replacement with other mineral materials, such as fly ash, as a base for geopolymer concrete and mortar production. A review of the usage of waste wood ash in the construction sector is offered, and development tendencies are assessed about mechanical, durability, and microstructural characteristics. The impacts of waste wood ash as a pozzolanic base for eco-concreting usages are summarized. According to the findings, incorporating WWA into concrete is useful to sustainable progress and waste reduction as the WWA mostly behaves as a filler in filling action and moderate amounts of WWA offer a fairly higher compressive strength to concrete. A detail study on the source of WWA on concrete mineralogy and properties must be performed to fill the potential research gap.

Purpose Inefficient waste disposal technique and cement production methodology caused significant environmental impacts, leading to global warming. The purpose of the research was to invent an effective, sustainable technology to use the wastes and alternate for cement in concrete. Geopolymer technology could be the most desirable solution to use the wastes into an effective product. Design/methodology/approach The wood waste ash derived from nearby tea shops was used as an alternate binder for fly ash. The replacement of WWA with FA was varied from 0 to 100% at 10% intervals. In this research, setting and mechanical features of Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) along with Waste wood ash (WWA) was carried out. The influence of wood waste ash in the microstructure of the GPC was also assessed using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction analysis. Findings The findings revealed that 30% replacement of wood waste ash was performed higher in all measured features. Besides, the formation of different phases was also observed with the inclusion of wood waste ash. Research limitations/implications The demand for fly ash was increased in recent years, and the fly-based GPC has required more alkaline solution and temperature curing. Hence, there was a research gap on finding an alternative binder for fly ash. Originality/value The research novelty was to use the wood waste ash, which has inbuilt alkaline compounds on the production of sustainable geopolymer. The finding showed that the wood waste ash could be alternate fly ash that eliminates the environmental impacts and economic thrust.

On the demand of reducing the global warming due to cement production which is used as main constituent in the production of concrete and minimizing the environmental impact caused by the waste and its disposal methods, this study was aimed. This study looked in to detail insight view on effective utilization of waste wood ash in the production of geopolymer concrete beams and columns to alternate the conventional reinforced concrete elements in construction industry. Waste wood ash is a waste by product produced in the nearby hotel and factories by burning the waste wood collected from timber industries and the ash are thrown in to land which creates a major environmental pollution. Geopolymer is a novel inorganic eco-friendly binding agent derived from alkaline solution that stimulates aluminosilicate source material (such as metakaolin, fly ash and GGBS). In this research, behaviour of beams in deflection, ductility factor, flexural strength and toughness index and columns in load carrying ability, stress strain behaviour and load-deflection behaviours were examined for three types of concretes (30% WWA – 70% Fly ash Geo-polymer concrete, Fly ash Geo-polymer concrete and Reinforced Cement Concrete). The results showed that inclusion of waste wood ash in geopolymer concrete helped in enhancing the load carrying capacity of beam and column by 42% and 28%. Further, the behaviour of structural elements in stiffness, ductility and toughness were also improved with the replacement of waste wood ash.

Environmental impact assessment of fly ash and silica fume based geopolymer concrete

Effect on the strength of GGBS and fly ash based geopolymer concrete

A major challenge in modern infrastructure is the excessive reliance on traditional Portland cement, which contributes significantly to environmental degradation and durability issues. This study addresses the need for sustainable and durable construction materials by investigating geopolymer concrete as an eco-friendly alternative, optimizing its mechanical and microstructural properties to enhance long-term performance in infrastructure applications. The performance of sustainable geopolymer concrete made with silica fume (SF) and fly ash (FA) and utilizing different alkaline activators (AAs) was examined in this study. The alkaline activators included sodium hydroxide (SH), potassium hydroxide (PH), and sodium silicate (SS) solutions. A total of twelve geopolymer concrete mixes were prepared and evaluated. The study considered several variables, including SF content (ranging from 10% to 100%), type of AA (SH+SS or PH+SS), AA concentration, and the AA to cementitious materials (AA/C) ratio. Workability, compressive strength, bending strength, tensile strength, and water absorption were among the mechanical characteristics of the concrete that were assessed, both in fresh and hardened states of the proposed concrete. The geopolymer concrete microstructure was also examined by performing X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations on a few chosen mixes. The findings showed that when SF content was 10%, 20%, 30%, and 100% as a replacement of FA, the concrete slump rose by 10%, 15%, 15%, and 120%, respectively. However, the compressive strength was increased only with up to 20% SF. Geopolymer concrete with PH as the alkaline activator exhibited up to 13% lower compressive strength compared to SH. The geopolymer concrete microstructure was influenced by the presence of SF, leading to the formation of ettringite. Some FA particles that remained unreacted or were only partially reacted, along with voids, were observed. The findings from this study contribute to the development of sustainable geopolymer concrete, offering a promising solution for green structural applications.

One of the most important challenges in developing the concrete industry is to use sustainable materials that are able to improve concrete properties. Magnetized water (MW) is a type of water that can replace tap water (TW) in conventional concrete and enhance its mechanical properties. However, the performance of MW in geopolymer concrete has not been well investigated up to now. The goal of this study is to measure the effect of using an alkaline activator (AA) made of MW on the mechanical properties and durability of fly ash (FA)-based geopolymer concrete. The AA was a mixture of sodium hydroxide (SH) solution and sodium silicate (SS) solution. Eighteen geopolymer concrete mixes were tested for several fresh, hardened, and durability properties. Of these mixes, nine were prepared with AA made of MW and the other nine were the same but prepared with AA made of TW. The preparation of MW was simply carried out by passing TW across permanent magnets of 1.6 Tesla, and then 1.4 Tesla intensities for 150 cycles. The MW-based AA properties were analyzed and compared to those of the conventional TW-based AA. Several mechanical and durability properties were measured. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) analysis was also conducted on selected mixes. The outcomes of the hardened concrete tests demonstrated that while using MW to prepare AA solution contained SH with a molarity of 16 M, an SS/SH ratio of 2, an AA/C ratio of 0.4, a W/C ratio of 10%, and a curing temperature of 115 °C could display the best outcomes in this study when used in geopolymer concrete. Using MW in a geopolymer concrete AA could increase its slump by up to 100% compared to that made of TW. Using MW in the AA enhanced the compressive strength by up to 193%, 192%, and 124% after 7, 28, and 56 days, respectively. The SEM analysis showed that using MW clearly enhanced the surface morphology of geopolymer concrete. The proposed geopolymer concrete made using the MW-based AA in this study sheds the light on a new class of eco-friendly concrete that could possibly be used in many structural applications.

Effect of molarity of NaOH and alkalinity ratio on compressive strength of geo-polymer concrete

Mechanical properties of fly ash and silica fume based geopolymer concrete made with magnetized water activator

Concrete is the basic building material in the world, and cement is the main material used in the production of concrete. However, there is an urgent need to reduce the consumption of cement, where cement production leads to 5–8% of global emissions of carbon dioxide. Geopolymer concrete is an innovative building material produced by alkaline activation of pozzolanic materials such as fly ash, granulated blast furnace slag, and kaolin clay. Geopolymers are widely used in the production of geopolymer concrete due to their ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and reduce high energy consumption. During the present study, the environmental impact of two strength grades (30 MPa and 40 MPa) of metakaolin geopolymer concrete (GPC) was evaluated to study its applicability in the construction sector. The kaolin clay extracted from the Aswan quarries was activated by a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solution. To introduce geopolymer concrete in the Egyptian industry sector, its environmental performance, together with its technical performance, should be competitive to the cement concrete used mainly for the time being. The cost of this new concrete system should also be evaluated. The environmental impact of GPC was evaluated and compared with cement concrete using life cycle assessment analysis and IMPACT 2002+ methodology. The cost of production was calculated for 1 m3 of geopolymer concrete and conventional cement concrete. Metakaolin geopolymer concrete achieved a high compressive strength of ~ 56 MPa, splitting tensile strength of 24 MPa, and modulus of elasticity of 8.5 MPa. The corrosion inhibition of metakaolin geopolymer concrete was ~ 80% better than that of conventional cement concrete. Geopolymer concrete achieved a reduction in global warming potential by 61% and improved the human health category by 9.4%. However, due to the heavy burdens of sodium silicate, the geopolymer concrete negatively affected the quality of the ecosystem by 68% and showed a slightly higher impact than cement concrete on the resource damage category for low strength grade of 30 MPa. The high cost of the basic ingredients of the geopolymer resulted in a high production cost of geopolymer concrete (~ 92 US$) that was three times that of cement concrete (~ 31 US$). Based on the environmental results, geopolymer concrete based on locally available metakaolin clay can be applied in the construction sector as a green alternative material for cement concrete.

-The world's most common man-made material is concrete. Portland cement is a key component of a typical concrete mix. However, about 5% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions are brought on by the manufacture of cement. Engineers and scientists need to invent and use a green building material to make the world more sustainable. Due to its corrosion resistance, geopolymer concrete is also significantly more durable than regular concrete. It is also significantly stronger than regular concrete. The development of green construction will be facilitated by the innovative sustainable building material known as geopolymer concrete. Alkali- activated materials also known as geopolymers, are made from a variety of materials (usually industrial byproducts) known as precursors. These are combined with an alkaline medium to create a cementitious material that can be used in place of Portland cement in the production of concrete. Mineral admixtures (such as fly ash and GGBS) are typically added in larger amounts in concrete to improve its workability, resistance to thermal cracking, alkali-aggregate expansion, and sulphate attack, and to allow for a reduction in cement content. In the current study, sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate were used as alkaline activators with a Molarity of 12M, and fly ash, GGBS, and types of synthetic zeolites as binder ingredients. 40% of GGBS is kept constant and fly ash is replaced with zeolite in various percentages. In this paper, zeolite is replaced with 5%, 7.5%, and 10% of fly ash to create geopolymer concretes. Zeolite powder obtained by the calcination process with the aid of sodium hydroxide and fly ash, industrial wastages. The performance of the created concrete is then evaluated using mechanical behavior on developed mix. Key Words: Alkali activator, fly ash, Ground granulated blast- frunace slag, synthetic zeolites, strength properties.