Sustainable Production of Blended Cement in Pakistan Through Addition of Natural Pozzolana
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Available on line at Association of the Chemical Engineers of Serbia AChE Chemical Industry & Chemical Engineering Quarterly www.ache.org.rs/CICEQ Chem. Ind. Chem. Eng. Q. 22 (1) 41−45 (2016) CI&CEQ MUHAMMAD IMRAN AHMAD1 SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF BLENDED MUHAMMAD SAJJAD1 2 CEMENT IN PAKISTAN THROUGH ADDITION IRFAN AHMED KHAN OF NATURAL POZZOLANA AMINA DURRANI2 1 ALI AHMED DURRANI Article Highlights 1 SAEED GUL • Ordinary Portland cement is partially substituted with rhyolite to reduce cost ASMAT ULLAH1 • Blended cements employing rhyolite are demonstrated to possess satisfactory com- pressive strength 1 Department of Chemical • Inter-grinding of rhyolite and clinker to produce blended cement shows reduced Engineering, University of energy consumption Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan Abstract 2Qadir Enterprises, Peshawar, In this work, pozzolana deposits of district Swabi, Pakistan were investigated Pakistan for partial substitution of Portland cement along with limestone filler. The cem- ent samples were mixed in different proportions and tested for compressive SCIENTIFIC PAPER strength at 7 and 28 days. The strength activity index (SAI) for 10% pozzolana, UDC 666.94(549.1) and 5% limestone blend at 7 and 28 days was 75.5 and 85.0% satisfying the minimum SAI limit of ASTM C618. 22% natural pozzolana and 5% limestone DOI 10.2298/CICEQ141012017A were interground with clinker and gypsum in a laboratory ball mill to compare the power consumption with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) (95% clinker and 5% gypsum). The ternary blended cement took less time to reach the same fineness level as OPC due to soft pozzolana and high grade lime stone, indi- cating that intergrinding may reduce overall power consumption. Blended cem- ent production using natural pozzolana and limestone may reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Keywords: ternary blended cement, natural pozzolana, limestone filler, cement production. Natural pozzolans have been employed in civil cementitious materials in the process resulting in red- works since ancient times [1]. The addition of natural uction in fuel consumption required for clinker form- volcanic rocks to cement or to concrete mixes results ation, CO2 emissions, as well as enhanced durability in improving chemical and physical properties such as and life cycle performance of the concrete structures reduction in heat release when mixed with water, [3]. good ultimate compressive strength, low permeability, The addition of natural pozzolans to form blended high resistance to sulphates and chloride attacks, and cements has been investigated extensively by reduced alkali-silica reaction [2]. Addition of limestone researchers previously demonstrating benefits in red- as a filler increases the early strength development in uction of energy consumption, green house gas emis- concrete; however, chloride ion diffusion may also sions, and cost [4-7]. The addition of natural pozzo- increase depending upon the blending ratio. A careful lans is constrained due to increase in hydration choice of additives and their blending ratios may yield requirements and decrease in early strength develop- cements with enhanced performances. Cement pro- ment [8]. Blending of cement with natural pozzolans duction may become more sustainable by addition of and others additives offers the advantage of exploit- ing characteristic of various materials while compen- Correspondence: M. Imran Ahmad, Department of Chemical sating for disadvantageous features [9-14]. Blended Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Pesha- cements are also produced on a commercial scale, war, Pakistan. for example in Algeria, using natural pozzolana and E-mail: [email protected] Paper received: 12 October, 2014 limestone [15]. Paper revised: 12 October, 2014 Paper accepted: 1 June, 2015 41 M. IMRAN AHMAD et al.: SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF BLENDED CEMENT… Chem. Ind. Chem. Eng. Q. 22 (1) 41−45 (2016) Natural pozzolans are known to react with the these extruded to the ground surface. The estimated calcium hydroxide formed during the reaction of ordi- quantity of deposit above ground level is 9.2 million nary Portland cement with water. The reaction of tons, while the quantity below ground level needs to silica component of pozzolana with calcium hydroxide be estimated after proper drilling. The pozzolana is relatively slow, and produces calcium silicate hyd- deposits of Swabi are whitish in color without any rates. The addition of pozzolana also results in inc- significant variation in size and composition [21]. rease of cementitious aluminates resulting from the reaction of alumina component of pozzolana with MATERIAL AND METHODS calcium hydroxide and sulphate ions [16-19]. This research work attempts to explore the pro- Pozzolana samples were collected and tested duction of blended cements in Pakistan through addi- for chemical, mineralogical composition, using XRF, tion of natural pozzolana for sustainable growth of the XRD, and other properties essential to determine cement, and construction sector. Natural pozzolana feasibility of use as cementitious material. Ordinary deposits are available in different areas of KPK, Portland cement (OPC) was used with natural pozzo- Pakistan such as in Karak, Mohmand agency, Swabi lana from Swabi, Pakistan and high grade limestone and Swat. Bentonite deposits of Karak district have (consisting of more than 95% calcium carbonate) been investigated for partial substitution of ordinary from the quarry of Askari Cement, Nizampur, Pakis- Portland cement in mortars and concrete [20]. tan. The chemical composition of OPC, natural poz- In this paper the natural pozzolana deposits of zolana, and limestone employed in this work are Swabi are investigated for production of ternary shown in Table 1. It may be observed from Table 1 blended cement. Pozzolana deposits are located in that the minimum requirement of oxides as per ASTM Gohatee, on both sides of Swabi-Mardan road as C618, i.e., the sum of silica, alumina, and iron oxides extrusive rocks, i.e., during geological transformation content should be greater than 70%, for natural poz- Table 1. Chemical composition (%) of the cement, pozzolana and limestone employed in experiments Material SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 CaO MgO K2O N2O SO3 Cement 20.5 4.89 4.49 61.41 1.65 0.95 0.22 3.59 Pozzolana 70.61 11.97 0.69 1.95 0.61 4.06 0.0 0.09 Limestone 5.25 1.4 1.2 53.0 0.8 0.05 0.03 0.01 Figure 1. X-ray diffractogram of natural pozzolana. 42 M. IMRAN AHMAD et al.: SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF BLENDED CEMENT… Chem. Ind. Chem. Eng. Q. 22 (1) 41−45 (2016) zolana is satisfied. The mineralogical composition of while total quantity of grinding media was of 96 kg. natural pozzolana is shown in Figure 1. The mineral- Media sizes were 72 (12.56 kg), 63 (21.7 kg), 49 ogical composition as determined by X-ray diffraction (22.06 kg) and 39 mm (10.64 kg). The dimensions of bears similarity with the mineralogical composition of the cylinders were 27 mm, length 37 mm (17.17 kg), a natural pozzolana reported previously [15]. and diameter 25 mm, length 31 mm (11.87 kg). The Pozzolana sample was also tested for loss on feed quantity was 5 kg. The ball mill was drained at ignition using BS–FLS–2011–04 standard. The loss on regular time intervals for sieve analysis using 600, 90 ignition was 1.15%, satisfying the maximum of 10% and 45 μm mesh as well as for Blaine fineness. Insol- specification of ASTM C618. It was concluded based uble residue (IR) was determined by the BS–FLS– on the loss on ignition that natural pozzolana under 20051–04 standard. consideration could be mixed with clinker or cement without any drying through external heat source. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The formulation of blended cement was varied by substitution of ordinary Portland cement with poz- The chemical composition of ordinary Portland zolana ranging from 5 to 22%, while the limestone cement, pozzolana, and limestone employed in this content was maintained constant at 5%. Ordinary work is shown in Table 1. Portland cement used was from Askari Cement Ltd., It may be observed from Table 1 that the mini- Nizampur, Pakistan, with fineness of 289.3 m2/kg and mum requirement of oxides as per ASTM C618, i.e., residue of 10% on 45 μm. Pozzolana and limestone the sum of silica, alumina, and iron oxides content were separately ground to 370 m2/kg and then mixed should be greater than 70%, for natural pozzolana is with ordinary Portland cement in specified ratios, as satisfied. The compressive strength (MPa) at 7 and shown in Table 2. Mortar cubes were casted and 28 days of various blends is shown in Table 2. tested for compressive strength at 7 and 28 days. Mortar cubes were prepared using 1:3 ratio of cement Table 2. Compressive strength of tested composite cement mortars and sand, taking 200 g of cement and 600 g of sand. Cement Pozzolana Limestone Compressive strength, MPa Cube dimensions were 70.1 mm×70.1 mm×70.1 mm. % % % 7 days 28 days ° Curing of cubes was carried out at 27±2 C water 100 0 0 54.7 61.8 temperature in curing tank until the day of testing. 90 5 5 44.3 58.3 Table 3 presents the composition, loss on ignition, 85 10 5 41.3 52.5 specific surface area, i.e., Blaine and residue of var- 80 15 5 40.0 49.6 ious blends. 73 22 5 37.1 48.3 Strength activity index (SAI) was calculated for all the blends to test for minimum specification of 75% The strength activity index calculated using Eq. as per ASTM C618. The strength activity index is (1) for various blends at 7 and 28 days is shown in defined as [22]: Figure 2. 100A It may be observed from Table 2 and Figure 2 SAI = (1) B that increasing the weight percentage of pozzolana above 10% while maintaining limestone percentage where A = average compressive strength of the fixed at 5% resulted in violation of the ASTM C618 blended cement mortar cubes and B = average com- specification, i.e., below the specified limit of 75%.