Cellulose Ash Research Articles

Laboratory Evaluation of Porous Asphalt Mixtures with Cellulose Ash or Combustion Soot as a Filler Replacement

Porous asphalt (PA) mixtures have become a common and very useful pavement technology for preventing dangerous driving conditions in wet weather and as a permeable surface in permeable pavement systems due to their capacity to filter water. The increased social awareness of sustainability matters has expanded the interest in reducing the impact of construction materials on the environment, mainly by using recycled materials in their composition and, hence, reducing the depletion of raw materials. In this research, two innovative recycled filler materials, namely, cellulose ash (CA) and combustion soot (CS), have been used as a total filler replacement in PA mixtures to look for improved mechanical strengths and characteristics. Four different filler dosages were assessed for each filler material, and the produced PA mixtures were tested for their particle loss, water sensitivity, freeze–thaw durability, Marshall stability, resilient modulus and permeability in order to obtain a full picture of their performance. The obtained results showed that both filler materials, adequately dosed, can generate PA mixtures that significantly overcome reference mechanical values for PA mixtures that maintain adequate infiltration capacities to satisfy the main international standards, proving to be suitable replacements for conventional filler materials commonly used in asphalt mixture production.

Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Environmental Impact of the Production of Asphalt Mixes Modified with Recycled Materials

This research focuses on the production and construction stages of the life cycle analysis (LCA) of asphalt mixtures modified with industrial waste and by-products, based on the quantification of methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced during these processes. A laboratory-designed and calibrated gas measurement system with a microcontroller and MQ sensors is used to compare the emissions (GHG) of a “conventional” asphalt mix with those emitted by waste-modified asphalt mixes (polyethylene terephthalate and nylon fibres) and industrial by-products (copper slag and cellulose ash). The results obtained show that the gases emitted by each type of material can influence the design criteria from an environmental perspective. Methane gas emissions for asphalt mixes made with polymeric materials increase compared to the production phase of a conventional mix (M1) by 21% for PET and 14% for nylon. In contrast, for mixtures made with copper slag and cellulose ash, this emission is reduced by 12%. In addition, the use of copper slag and cellulose ash to replace natural aggregates reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 15% during the production phase and contributes to the creation of photochemical ozone for a shorter period of time. Regarding carbon dioxide emission, it increases considerably for all asphalt mixes, by 26% and 44.5% for cellulose ash and copper slag, respectively. For asphalt mixtures made of polymeric materials, the increase in carbon dioxide emission is significant, 130% for PET and 53% for nylon. In addition, it is noted that for this type of material, not only the emission of the gas must be taken into consideration, but also the time that the volatile particles spend in the atmosphere, affecting climate change and photochemical ozone (smog). The carbon monoxide gases emitted in the production phase of all the asphalt mixes analysed is similar among them.

Crude Oil Sensing using Carbon Nano Structures Synthetized from Phoenix Dactylifera L. Cellulose

This study reports on the crude oil-sensing using carbon nano structures (CNSs). A mixture of CNSs was obtained by a simple method of preparation using palm cellulose ash and nitric acid as precursors, the powder was characterized by x-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. The optical density of crude oil from Rhoud El-Baguel area (Southeast of Algeria) studied using UV-Vis spectroscopy, before and after adding an amount of CNSs powder to view the CNSs crude oil sensing and therefore a new method to determine the quality of crude oils and the comparison between them. Results show that CNSs prepared from palm cellulose ash have a good crystallinity and it is formed mainly from carbon nano dots (CNDs) with 4.32 Å in layers spacing and 7.4 Å in crystallite size, indicate that CNSs can be used as an excellent crude oil sensor.

Reduction in the use of mineral aggregate by recycling cellulose ashes to decrease the aging of hot asphalt mixtures

The rapid development that our society is experiencing effects road management, therefore developing economical and efficient solutions, as well as extending road service life is indispensable. Aging is a problem associated to the majority of failures at the pavement surface layer (cracks, fissures, fatigue), including those produced by traffic solicitations. Diverse studies indicate that alterations to mixtures due to age can be decreased by incorporating a filler or mineral filler. Therefore, the present study incorporates cellulose ashes at different Cv/Cs concentrations as contribution filler in bituminous mastic, analysing its influence on aging resistance using the Cantabro wear test.The results indicated that using cellulose ash as contribution filler allows promising results to be obtained in regards to aging resistance of asphalt mixtures, if they are incorporated in concentrations close to or equal to the critical concentration, with an increase in aging resistance from 45.3 to 48.6% depending on the type of bitumen used. Therefore, incorporating them into the design of asphalt mixtures could be an efficient and economical solution to the current problems of early cracking and pavements with a service life lower than the estimated, although a more thorough analysis of its behaviour in other tests and service conditions is required in bituminous mixtures.

Investigation of the physicochemical properties of microcrystalline cellulose from agricultural wastes I: orange mesocarp

Orange mesocarp was obtained after removal of the epicarp and the endocarp from oranges. It was dried, pulverized and digested with 2% w/v sodium hydroxide at 80°C for 3 h. Alpha- and micro-crystalline celluloses were extracted from the pulp using 17.5% w/v and 2.5 N hydrochloric acid, respectively. The physicochemical and powder properties of the extracted material were evaluated. Results obtained showed that the yield of α-cellulose from the orange mesocarp was 62.5% and that of microcrystalline cellulose 25.3%. The total water-soluble substances were 0.0018 g/g, ash 0.00035 g/g and the true density 1.760 g cm−1, while the pH and hydration capacity are 6.61 and 2.916, respectively. Elemental analysis of the cellulose ash shows the absence of Pb and Mn and the preponderance of K, Na and Fe. The water sorption profile of the microcrystalline cellulose was also studied.