Environmentally Friendly Masonry Mortar Blended with Fly Ash, Corn Cob Ash or Ceramic Waste Powder

Implementing a circular approach through waste valorization in mortar production with environmentally efficient mix design is a viable pathway for relieving the ecological burden of greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion and waste management. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of using fly ash (FA), corn cob ash (CCA), and ceramic waste powder (CWP) as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in cement-lime masonry mortars. As part of an extensive experimental study, twelve mortar mixtures were made: three reference and nine blended, with mixing ratios of 1:1:5, 1:0.7:4.2, and 1:1:4 ((cement + SCM)/lime/sand), by volume. The examined properties include workability, compressive and flexural strengths, dry bulk density, capillary water absorption, adhesive bond strength, and water vapor permeability. The compressive and flexural strengths of tested mortars were notably impaired, with reductions of up to 60%, while the capillary water absorption coefficient rose by 100% compared to the reference values. The adhesive bond strength of some blended mortars exceeded the strength of the reference mortars. Nevertheless, all blended mortars fulfilled the requirements for general-purpose mortars, while the majority met the criteria for structural masonry applications. In addition, a performance-based index and weighting triangle were used for the comparison and ranking of all analyzed mortar mixtures. The findings of this study may herald a novel use of FA, CCA, and CWP as more eco-friendly binding materials in contemporary construction leading to the reduction in the process's carbon footprint, the improvement in cost efficiency, and the mitigation of the detrimental environmental impact of waste disposal.

Effects of Grinding Methods and Water-to-Binder Ratio on the Properties of Cement Mortars Blended with Biomass Ash and Ceramic Powder

To combat environmental challenges-such as the depletion of natural resources and a high carbon footprint-and contribute to the effort of achieving zero-waste technology and sustainable development, the use of agricultural and industrial wastes in the cement industry has created a research interest. This study explores the potential of two types of harvest residue ash (HRA) and three types of ceramic waste (CP) as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) through: (1) the characterization of raw materials and (2) examining the physical properties and mechanical performance of cement-based mortar samples prepared with 10%, 30% and 50%wt of the selected SCMs ground into powder form as cement replacement. Two main variables were the water-to-binder ratio (w/b) and the effect of different grinding procedures. Experimental results demonstrated that flexural and compressive strengths were not significantly impaired by SCM additions of up to 50%, but higher replacement levels led to an increased permeability and higher capillary water absorption due to the dilution effect. Also, a lower w/b was shown to effectively reduce the porosity of mortar and increase its mechanical properties, allowing for higher shares of SCMs to be utilized. This study verifies the technical feasibility of cob corn ash and ceramic powder application as SCMs in mortar formulations, further promoting the practice of incorporating industrial and agricultural by-products in greener cementitious composites.

Estimation of Hydration Degree of Blended Cements with the Help of k-Values

The growing utilization of various mineral additives in the building industry has caused concern worldwide to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide from Portland cement (OPC) production. The present paper is focused on the determination of the degree of hydration of blended binding systems based on Portland cement. Blast furnace slag, fly ash, and ceramic powder are used in the study; they are applied by 12.5 wt.% up to 50% of OPC replacement. The evolution of the hydration process is monitored using thermogravimetry in selected time intervals to determine the degree of hydration; its ultimate value is obtained from numerical estimation using the Michaelis-Menten equation. However, due to the application of active mineral additives, the correction in terms of equivalent binder is conducted. Corrected values of the degree of hydration exhibit good fit with compressive strength.

Properties and Applications of High Emissivity Composite Films Based on Far-Infrared Ceramic Powder

Polymer matrix composite materials that can emit radiation in the far-infrared region of the spectrum are receiving increasing attention due to their ability to significantly influence biological processes. This study reports on the far-infrared emissivity property of composite films based on far-infrared ceramic powder. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray powder diffractometry were used to evaluate the physical properties of the ceramic powder. The ceramic powder was found to be rich in aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, and silicon oxide, which demonstrate high far-infrared emissivity. In addition, the micromorphology, mechanical performance, dynamic mechanical properties, and far-infrared emissivity of the composite were analyzed to evaluate their suitability for strawberry storage. The mechanical properties of the far-infrared radiation ceramic (cFIR) composite films were not significantly influenced (p ≥ 0.05) by the addition of the ceramic powder. However, the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) properties of the cFIR composite films, including a reduction in damping and shock absorption performance, were significant influenced by the addition of the ceramic powder. Moreover, the cFIR composite films showed high far-infrared emissivity, which has the capability of prolonging the storage life of strawberries. This research demonstrates that cFIR composite films are promising for future applications.

Variances in the Measurement of Ceramic Powder Properties

Variances in the measurement of properties used to characterize ceramic powders are discussed in the context of the International Energy Agency's study, Annex II, Subtask 2, which includes chemical and physical measurements for five powders: two grades of silicon nitride, and one grade each of silicon carbide, silicon, and zirconia. The analysis presented here includes results for 39 properties reported by 25 laboratories using approximately 700 samples of the powders. Measurement uncertainties are discussed in the contexts of measurement variations within given laboratories (within-laboratory variance, sometimes called repeatability), among different laboratories (between-laboratory variance, also called reproducibility), and among different measurement techniques (between-methods variance). The analysis shows that the between-laboratory variance tends to be significantly greater than either the within-laboratory or the between-methods variances. The implication of this result is that the most important improvements in powder characterization measurements may be achieved through the standardization of the measurement methodologies.