Limestone Powder Research Articles

Utilization of Eggshell Powder as a Green Mortar Material

Recycling waste in cementitious materials promotes sustainable construction. It helps to prevent the depletion of natural resources while also reusing abundant recyclable wastes. Eggshells are one of these wastes that is being generated in large quantities because eggs are not expensive and have high nutritional value. On the other side, eggshell has a high content of calcium carbonate. It has a similar composition to the limestone powder used to produce Portland cement. This work investigates the effect of replacing a part of the cement with eggshell powder on mortar properties. The substitution rates were 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % of the cement’s mass. The results were compared with those of an ordinary mortar for the following properties: workability, compressive strength, flexural tensile strength, density in the hardened state, water absorption by total immersion, porosity accessible to water, depth of water penetration under pressure and chemical attack by sulfuric acid. The experimental results show that adding eggshell powder as a partial cement substitute up to 10% improved workability, increased compressive strength by about 10 % and flexural tensile strength by about 20 %, reduced density, and produced a more durable mortar by reducing porosity, water absorption, and water penetration depth under pressure. On the other hand, it decreased resistance to chemical attack by sulfuric acid. Thus, eggshell powder could be used in future construction materials to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Evaluation of High-Performance Mortar Characteristics Utilizing Coal Bottom Ash and Limestone Powder as Sustainable Alternatives to Cement

Evaluation of High-Performance Mortar Characteristics Utilizing Coal Bottom Ash and Limestone Powder as Sustainable Alternatives to Cement

Development and characterization of glass fiber composites impregnated with limestone powder and bagasse fiber

Abstract Materials development is essential for all industries to meet the current demands Limestone powder (LS), coconut shell fiber (CSF) and sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF) were impregnated in a laminated glass fiber polymer matrix. The fiber to matrix ratio is 50 %, while SBF and CSF start replacing natural fibers at a rate of 5–15 %, and LS is always 5 %. The proposed fiber-reinforced composites were manufactured by compression molding (CMM) and the test samples were cut according to the ASTM for tensile, impact, moisture, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric (TGA) tests. The results showed that the strength of the materials is influenced by the impregnation of the fibers into the matrix phase. Impregnation of natural fibers in glass fiber composite structures at 10–15 % loading demonstrated a weight saving of 7–8 %, tensile strength ranging from 330 to 350 MPa, maximum moisture absorption of 3.4 g, and thermal stability around 300 °C. Addition of limestone powder resulted in improved bonding ability, better surface finish, and reduced porosity, as demonstrated by SEM analysis.

Vitrified Clay for the Production of a Green Sustainable Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete.

As awareness of the impact of anthropogenic activities on climate change increases, the concepts of durability, resilience, and sustainability in concrete tend to be adopted more seriously in the concrete construction industry. In this sense, one of the concrete technologies that began in the 1980s and that significantly contributes to maximize the beneficial effect on all these concepts are the ultra-high-performance concretes, a very attractive technology because it presents ultra-high strength and durability performances far superior to those of conventional concretes, a performance that is leading to a permanent increased demand. However, the development of these concretes has been widely criticized due to their high ecological impact, which is mainly attributable to the high cement dosages required for their production (800-1000 kg/m3). To address this criticism in a comprehensive manner and thereby reduce the embodied carbon attributable exclusively to the material, this research was oriented to determine the effect of an industrial by-product of vitrified clay, as a partial or total substitution for cement, silica fume, and limestone aggregate, on the compressive strength, flexural toughness, and embodied CO2. For the UHPC's evaluated in this work with a dosage of 2% by volume of steel micro-fibers, the results evidence the feasibility that the following substitutions by mass: 30% of the Portland cement, 100% of the silica fume, and 30% of the limestone aggregate and powder, do not detract the fresh stage, the compressive strength, the static modulus of elasticity, and the flexural strength, leading to significant reductions of the embodied CO2.

Incorporating Limestone Powder and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag in Ultra-high Performance Concrete to Enhance Sustainability

While ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) offers numerous advantages, it also presents specific challenges, primarily due to its high cost and excessive cement content, which can pose sustainability concerns. To address this challenge, this study aims to develop cost-effective and sustainable UHPC mixtures by incorporating ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and limestone powder (LP) as partial replacements for portland cement. Eight fiber-reinforced UHPC mixtures were investigated, with a water-to-cementitious materials (w/cm) ratio of 0.15. In four of the UHPC mixtures, 25% of the cement was replaced with GGBFS, and further, LP was added as a mineral filler, partially substituting up to 20% of the cement. In the remaining four mixtures, cement was replaced with only LP up to 20% (without GGBFS). The 28-day compressive strength of the UHPC mixture with 25% GGBFS and 20% LP was 149 MPa, 3.50% lower than the mixture without GGBFS. Its 28-day flexural strength decreased by 30%. Increasing LP replacement reduced drying and autogenous shrinkage, with a 29% shrinkage reduction at 20% LP replacement. Moreover, UHPC mixtures with GGBFS exhibited lower shrinkage compared to those without GGBFS for all LP replacements up to 20%. For evaluating the sustainability of UHPC mixtures, the cement composition index (CCI) and clinker to cement ratio (CCR) were determined. For 20% LP replacement with 25% GGBFS, CCI was 3.6 and the CCR was 0.5, 38% decrease from the global clinker to cement ratio. Overall, 20% LP replacement UHPC mixtures with and without GGBFS can produce UHPC class performance and reduce the environmental impact.

Experimental Study on the Chloride Ion Concentration of Cement Pastes Prepared with Limestone Powder

Experimental Study on the Chloride Ion Concentration of Cement Pastes Prepared with Limestone Powder

Influence of limestone powder particle size on the sulfate resistance of cement-based materials under the coupling effect of time-varying temperature and sulfate attack

Replacing a portion of cement clinker with limestone powder can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but limestone powder with different mixing rations and particle sizes will exert varying impacts on freshly mixed cement-based materials. In this paper, the effects of different limestone powders on the sulfate attack resistance of cement-based material under the coupling of time-varying temperature and sulfate attack are systematically investigated. At the same time, a variety of modern analysis and testing techniques were used to characterize the composition of erosion products during the coupling process of temperature time-varying and sulfate attack. Additionally, a full-life reliability of cement-based materials with limestone powder was evaluated by Weibull distribution. And the results showed that limestone powder with smaller particle size could reduce its impact on the sulfate resistance of cement mortar. The erosion products of samples were mainly ettringite and gypsum in the early stage, and the ettringite gradually changed to thaumasite in the later stage. The Weibull distribution can accurately simulate the reliability change of the specimen in the whole process, which can provide reference for future practical application in engineering.

Assessment of waste eggshell powder as a limestone alternative in portland cement

The decarbonization of the concrete industry is an ongoing pursuit. One solution towards this goal is the use of limestone powder in portland cement. Waste eggshell has tremendous potential as an alternative calcite filler in cement due to its similarities with limestone. In this research, the feasibility of adding 15% and 35% ground eggshell in portland cement to make cement mortars was investigated. The hydration mechanism of eggshell and limestone blended cements was compared through the heat of hydration, phase assemblage, electrical resistivity, compressive strength, and shrinkage measurements. The experimental results showed that cement mortars with ground eggshell attained similar compressive strength as that with limestone. However, eggshell mixtures demand more mixing water to compensate the hydrophobicity of the eggshell membrane. The high calcite content in both eggshell and limestone accelerates the hydration of cement at 15% replacement, but ground eggshell retards cement hydration at 35% replacement due to the dominant influence of the membrane. Overall, eggshell waste is a feasible sustainable alternative to limestone powder at up to 15% portland cement replacement levels. Lifecycle assessment and cost analysis showed that adding 15% ground eggshell in cement concrete further reduces its embodied carbon and energy and cost compared to cement concrete containing limestone powder.

Characteristics of powder charging behavior via forced triboelectric charging on an inclined chute

This study presents a novel method for selective charging of powders by dry triboelectric forced charging utilized as the first stage of material sorting in an electric field. In forced triboelectric charging, a high voltage is applied to the copper chute in which particles are charged during their transportation. In this research, the effect of the operating parameters of the chute, including mass flow rate, angle of inclination, and length, on the specific particle charge of limestone powders was investigated. In addition, the behavior of the charged particles in an electrostatic sorter was analyzed by evaluating their charge distribution after sorting. The results reveal that as the length of the chute increases, the specific charge asymptotically approaches a saturation value, which is determined by the high voltage applied. Furthermore, for a given chute length, the high voltage influences the amount and the sign of the specific particle charge, including a high voltage value at which the particles are neutral on average, i.e. the so-called point of zero net charge (PZNC). This PZNC is of particular interest for sorting out a target component from a powder mixture. However, if the mass flow rate is increased above a certain value, the specific charge decreases as the number of particle wall contacts is reduced due to stratification. Bipolar charge distributions were observed for all investigated high voltages, with the distribution width increasing with particle size to the power of 2.1. The modal value of the charge distribution shifts according to the difference in voltage applied to the PZNC.

An investigation of palm oil fuel ash and limestone powder for use in sustainable high strength concrete construction

This study deals with the production of concrete with low CO2 emissions. For this reason, two materials, namely palm oil fuel ash (POFA) and limestone powder (LP), were used as mineral additions to replace conventional cement as much as possible. The results showed that concrete containing 60 wt% POFA could achieve the high strength requirements of ACI 363R from an age of 28 days. At a replacement level of 70 wt% of admixtures, the use of 10 wt% LP + 60 wt% POFA was a good mixture as it had the highest concrete compressive strength, had a minor effect on shrinkage strain and reduced heat generation by approximately 50% compared to cement concrete. Additionally, the use of POFA and LP is a good choice to produce environmentally friendly concrete, which can reduce the CO2 emissions of concrete by about 44–62% compared to cement concrete at similar strength.

Harnessing Limestone powder to enhance the thermal crack resistance of manufactured sand.

Manufactured sand concrete (MSC) has increasingly applied in engineering. However, how to enhance the thermal crack resistance of MSC has not clearly studied yet, which limits the wide applications of manufactured sand in engineering. We have adopted the method of mixing limestone powder (LP) to make MSC with four mass fractions (wt.%) of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of LP content, designed the mix proportion of concrete, tested their mechanical properties, observed their microstructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and investigated the effect of LP on anti-cracking performance using temperature stress testing machine (TSTM). These findings reveal that the mechanical properties and thermal crack resistance of 15% LP MSC are the best. Our results also provide a research basis for the MSC to be widely used in engineering.

Decomposition Behavior of Limestone Powder in Converter Flue Gas: Effect of Fe‐Oxide Dust on Calcium Ferrite Formation

To improve the utilization level and energy conversion efficiency of converter flue gas, a novel technology is proposed for the online production of slagging and dephosphorization agent by utilizing the waste heat of converter flue gas. Herein, the effects of Fe‐oxide dust in converter flue gas on the phase composition and microstructure of decomposed product and decomposition degree are investigated by high‐temperature drop tube furnace experiment and thermogravimetric experiment to clarify the influencing mechanism of Fe‐oxide dust on limestone powder decomposition. The results show that Ca2Fe2O5 is formed during limestone decomposition in the flue gas with Fe‐oxide dust, and the increase of Fe‐oxide dust content promotes the decomposition reaction of limestone powder and formation of calcium ferrite. With the Fe‐oxide dust content increasing from 10% to 30%, the decomposition degree increases from 80.1% to 96.2% and the proportion of Ca2Fe2O5 increases from 6.35% to 35.90%. Moreover, FeO in the dust reacts with both CaCO3 and CaO completely to form calcium ferrite with the presence of external oxygen gas in converter flue gas, whereas FeO has no significant effect on the decomposition of CaCO3 in an inert atmosphere and no Ca2Fe2O5 is formed.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Limestone Powder as a Partial Replacement of Ordinary Portland Cement for the Sustainable Stabilization of Sulfate-Bearing Saline Soil

Evaluating the Efficacy of Limestone Powder as a Partial Replacement of Ordinary Portland Cement for the Sustainable Stabilization of Sulfate-Bearing Saline Soil

Mechanical and autogenous shrinkage properties of coarse aggregate ultra-high performance concrete (CA-UHPC): The effect of mineral admixtures

To reduce the shrinkage and explore the best content of mineral admixtures of coarse aggregate ultra-high performance concrete (CA-UHPC), this study conducted 12 groups of autogenous shrinkage, basic material properties (compressive strength, tensile strength, and flowability), and X-ray diffraction experiments on CA-UHPC with coarse aggregate and different amounts of mineral admixtures (slag powder, limestone powder). The effects of coarse aggregate and mineral admixtures on the autogenous shrinkage and basic material properties of CA-UHPC were analyzed, and the measured values of CA-UHPC autogenous shrinkage strain were compared with the theoretical values calculated by six commonly used concrete shrinkage prediction models. The experimental results show that under the condition of 15 % coarse aggregate content and no steam curing, a CA-UHPC with a compressive strength greater than 110 MPa, a tensile strength greater than 11 MPa, a flowability greater than 290 mm, and an autogenous shrinkage of less than 700 after 120d can be obtained. The mineral admixture has a significant impact on the fundamental properties of CA-UHPC. The compressive strength, tensile strength, and flowability of CA-UHPC with 15 % limestone powder and 15 % S95 slag powder increased by 6.6 %, 5.4 %, and 27.6 % compared to UHPC with only coarse aggregate added, and the autogenous shrinkage after 120 days decreased by 10.5 %. However, when the dosage of limestone powder and S95 slag powder exceeds 30 %, the tensile and compressive strength of CA-UHPC will rapidly decrease. This study also revised the GL 2000 shrinkage prediction model based on the CA-UHPC autogenous shrinkage test results, introduced the influence coefficient of mineral admixture content on autogenous shrinkage strain, and established a theoretical calculation model suitable for CA-UHPC autogenous shrinkage strain.

Numerical simulation of multiphase flow induced by bottom blowing limestone powder in converter steelmaking

A full-scale three-dimensional model of a 120 t steel converter was established to evaluate the effects of bottom-blown limestone particle injection speed, diameter, and nozzle location on the particle distribution and molten metal flow field using numerical simulations. The results indicated that a particle injection speed of 6 m/s, particle diameter of 0.5 mm, and injection nozzle location at 1/2 of the converter bottom radius provided the longest particle residence time and largest quantity of particles in the molten metal. Furthermore, the use of these parameters produced within the molten metal an obvious particle concentration along the centerline of the converter, the fastest average liquid metal–particle flow velocity, and moderate splashing. These optimal injection parameters created favorable kinetic conditions for the dephosphorization reaction essential to steelmaking. This study provide a theoretical basis for realizing the improved efficiency associated with the use limestone instead of lime in practical steel production.

Study on the chloride ion binding rate of sulfoaluminate cement mortars containing different mineral admixtures

In this study, the chloride ion (Cl−) binding rate of sulfoaluminate cement (SAC) mortars containing different mineral admixtures was investigated. This is essential to improve the durability of concrete structures in high Cl− environments, especially where they are susceptible to Cl− attack such as coastlines and marine structures. The effects of Cl− concentration, curing age, and the type and amount of mineral admixture on the Cl− binding rate of SAC mortars were analyzed. It was found that the content of water-soluble Cl− in SAC mortars decreased with the increase of curing age, while the Cl− binding ratio increased accordingly, indicating that its resistance to internal Cl− permeation increased. The addition of fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) can significantly improve the Cl− binding rate of SAC mortars, and the Cl− binding rate increases to 46.6% with 20% of FA and 38.7% with 40% of GGBS. The effects of mineral admixtures on the microstructure and phase composition of SAC mortars were further investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The results showed that the addition of FA and GGBS promoted the formation of C-S-H (calcium silicate hydrate) gels and improved the resistance of SAC mortars to Cl− penetration. On the other hand, the excessive addition of silica fume (SF) decreased the Cl− binding rate, whereas a moderate amount of limestone powder (LP) improved the Cl− binding rate. The study of the Cl− binding rate of SAC mortars can help to evaluate their resistance to Cl− erosion in real projects, thus guiding the optimization of concrete formulations and the improvement of durability.

Locally Synthesized Zwitterionic Surfactants as EOR Chemicals in Sandstone and Carbonate.

Zwitterionic surfactants are found to be highly effective in reducing the IFT and changing the wettability. This work studied the solubility and wettability alteration performance of locally synthesized zwitterionic surfactants in Berea sandstone and Indiana limestone. Contact angle measurements were conducted to study the wettability under different conditions. SEM images and TGA results were combined to reflect on the wettability alteration mechanism. The zeta potential test was adopted to study the surface charge of the Indian limestone powder. Results showed that five of the six surfactants dissolved in deionized water to form 1.0 wt % solution, indicating efficient solubility for EOR purposes. Although its wettability alteration performance on oil-aged Berea sandstone is weak to moderate, the performance of ZW6 on Indiana limestone is excellent. ZW6 can change the strongly oil-wet (162°) rock back to water-wet (62.9°) conditions. Increasing its concentration from 0.01 to 0.5 wt % continuously enhanced the performance. The addition of NaCl to 150000 ppm did not affect the wettability alteration. However, the addition of CaCl2 largely suppressed the wettability alteration, while Na2SO4 and MgCl2 both enhanced the performance. With the same headgroup, a more hydrophobic tail group impairs the wettability alteration. The quite different wettability alteration performance of MgCl2 and CaCl2 cases (which had approximately the same amount of calcite dissolution), and the comparable wettability alteration performance of Na2SO4 and MgCl2 (which had very different calcite dissolution amounts) indicate that calcite dissolution is unrelated to wettability alteration.

Sustainable quaternary binders made from metallurgical wastes of northeast Mexico: strength, hydration products, and durability.

In this research, four industrial wastes were used for up to 80% as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in cement mortar systems: ground granulated blast furnace slag, electric arc furnace slag, basic oxygen furnace slag, and waste limestone powder. Quaternary cementitious blends were prepared and studied for up to 120days. Workability, compressive strength, durability, microstructures, and sustainability studies were performed and compared with Portland cement references. Results showed that more than 30MPa in compressive strength can be achieved by > 50% replacement with SCMs; only 9% below the reference. Neither H2SO4 nor MgSO4 attacks resulted in critical damages; nevertheless, curing under NaCl solution showed detrimental behavior. C-S-H with a low Ca/Si ratio was identified in the mortars as the main hydration product, possibly intermixed with stratlingite, C-A-S-H and/or hydrotalcite. Environmental impact for the blended cements was determined as the CO2eq. factor from a simple life cycle assessment. The embodied greenhouse gasses varied in 260.2-541.4kg CO2eq./ton of binder depending on the formulation. This was 40-70% less than Portland cement (922.6kg CO2eq./ton). The production of the raw materials dominated the polluting emissions, while freight, grinding, and sieving had little environmental impact.

Effect of particle size distribution and content of limestone powder on compressive response of high-early-strength cement mortars

This study examined the effect of particle size distribution and content of limestone powder on the compressive response of high-early-strength portland cement mortars cured either in water or under ambient conditions. Nineteen mortar mixtures were classified into three groups based on the particle size distribution of the pulverized limestone powders: L (blaine = 3467 cm2/g), M (blaine = 4710 cm2/g), and H (blaine = 5764 cm2/g). The design equations for the compressive strength gain rates and stress–strain relationship of ordinary portland cement (OPC) concrete were adapted for the present mortars. The test results revealed that the 28-d compressive strength (fc′) of the mortars tended to decrease with an increase in limestone powder content, even for mortars containing 5 % limestone powder with small particle sizes. This contrasts with the common trend of the positive effect of limestone powder on the compressive strength of OPC concrete up to a certain substitution level. Furthermore, mortars containing finer limestone powders exhibited a greater rate of decrease in fc′, regardless of the curing conditions. The modified equations show promise for reliably assessing both the compressive strength gain rates at different ages and the stress–strain behavior of high-early-strength portland cement mortars containing limestone powders.

Research progress on the application of low-reactivity minerals in carbonation-cured cement-based materials

Cement is essential for the construction industry, but its production process generates a large amount of CO2, adversely affecting the environment. To address the issue above, carbonation curing serving as one of the efficient carbon reduction approaches is widely adopted benefiting from its advantages of rapidly realizing carbon sequestration and enhancing the performance of cementitious materials. Numerous studies have indicated that the addition of low-reactivity minerals such as limestone, quartz, sandstone, and glass powder accelerates the carbonation reaction of cement composites. However, there is a lack of reviews on the application of low-activity minerals in carbonation-cured cementitious materials. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive review regarding the research progress on the application of low-reactivity minerals in carbonation-cured cement-based materials for the first time. This review first introduces the effect of low-activity minerals on the performance of carbonation-cured cement composites. Subsequently, the related mechanism is analyzed. Finally, the future research directions and challenges in this field are emphasized. This work provides insights and references for the application of low-reactivity minerals in carbonation-cured cement-based materials, thus contributing to carbon emission reduction in the cement industry.