Properties of a Composite Cement Binder Using Fuel Ashes

Abstract

The paper provides a comparative assessment of using four types of fuel ashes from different types of coal combustion as additives to replace part of the cement in producing a composite binder. The authors assessed the effectiveness of the additives by cement dough properties (water-binder ratio, normal density, initial setting) and the strength of the binder at 1, 3, 7 and 28 days of hardening. The ashes are ranked according to their efficiency in the structure of composite binder in the following sequence: acid ash from Reftinskaya power plant → acid ash from Novotroitskaya power plant → basic ash from Nazarovskaya power plant → acid ash from Troitskaya power plant. The research revealed that the most effective mineral additives were basic ash from the Nazarovskaya power plant and acid ash from the Troitskaya power plant. Their use reduced the amount of cement by 15% and 25% respectively, while reducing the strength by no more than 3%.