Thermal and mechanical analyses of colored mortars produced using Brazilian iron ore tailings

Abstract

The State of Minas Gerais is responsible for almost half of the value generated by the mining industry. However, this activity generates thousands of tons per day of different tailings. In this work, the main objective was to evaluate the mechanical and thermal properties of colored coating mortars produced with iron ore tailings (IOT), raw and calcined, as a substitute for Portland cement. The flexural tensile and compressive strength, thermal conductivity and the solar absorptance were performed in mortars. The results showed that the mortars produced with IOT to substitute Portland cement presented the same properties of the reference ones but the solar absorptance varied according to the firing temperature and the amount of cement replaced by IOT. Thus, the decision to use a greater amount of IOT to replace cement must pass not only through the analysis of mechanical properties, but also must consider the final product, in this case, mortars, and its specific performance in buildings.