Recycling ceramic waste powder: effects its grain-size distribution on fresh and hardened properties of cement pastes/mortars formulated from SCC mixes

Abstract

This article presents the results of a preliminary study assessing the feasibility of using waste ceramic powder as a partial replacement of cement and/or sand in cement pastes and mortars. Two different ceramic powders, featuring different grain-size distributions, have been employed, one from crushed bathroom fixtures and dental prosthesis waste and a second one from foundry industry residuals. With reference to cement pastes and mortars formulated from SCC mixes employed in precast industry, cement replacement volume percentages equal to 10 and 30% have been considered for each powder. The possibility of hybrid cement and sand replacement with either powder has also been addressed. Effects of the replacement on the workability, shrinkage, compressive and flexural strengths have been considered, up to 3 months curing. The results confirmed the possibility of using this kind of waste in concrete, thus reducing the demand for raw cement and the burden on disposal landfills.

Keywords:

• Ceramic powder
• sustainability
• cement replacement
• sand replacement

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support and funding received from the European Union. This work actually represents the summary of the activity performed by the authors during reciprocal secondments. The kind support of Gannon Eco (Ireland), in the person of Mr. Nial Gannon, in providing the ceramic powders needed for this investigation is also gratefully acknowledged. The authors also thank MEng. Eduardo Ballesteros Ribera, MEng. Héctor David Méndez Figueroa, Mr. Alex Pellegri, Mr. Lorenzo Sgubbi, MEng. Marko Bunoza and MEng. Julian Mundija for their cooperation in performing the experimental tests and reducing the data, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the respective achievement of their MSEng and BEng in Civil Engineering at Politecnico di Milano.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the European Union, as this research is part of the FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IAPP project ‘EiroCrete: Development of sustainable, lower carbon, pre-cast concrete infrastructure’.