Effect of Biochar and Sewage Sludge Ash as Partial Replacement for Cement in Cementitious Composites: Mechanical, and Durability Properties

Abstract

With the significant pace of industrialization, the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) through cement manufacture, as well as from developed environments, will undoubtedly rise yearly. Biochar as a byproduct of biomass pyrolysis can be utilized in concrete to partially replace cement. Because of its ecological and economic benefits, such as carbon sinks or carbon capture, low thermal conductivity, chemical resistance, and low thermal properties, biochar has risen in popularity in recent years. On the other hand, the possibility of using sludge ash as a cement substitute in the process of making mortar has recently attracted increasing interest. The effectiveness and acceptability of using pine cones as a byproduct of biochar and sludge ash, a byproduct of wastewater treatment, to produce mortar in place of cement are being intensively explored. The integration of biochar and sludge ash into cementitious materials is a possible approach for pollution reduction by replacing Portland cement and reducing collection and disposal in landfills. In order to create high-performance mortar, this study experimentally explores the impacts of combining biochar at an optimal of 6% and sludge ash at optimal of 10%. It analyzes the rheological, mechanical, and durability attributes across curing times of 7 and 28 days in both wet and dry environments, while keeping a constant temperature of 20 °C. As a result, at 28 days, every blend was higher compared to baseline mixture at 7 days. Increases of 19.52% and 13.78%, as well as 24.76% and 21.68%, were seen in the mixtures with 5% and 10% sludge ash (SA) at 28 days compressive strength. With percentage increments for both 7 days and 28 days of 6.6% and 30.9% and 2.2% and 14.1%, the binary blend utilizing BC3SA10 and BC3SA5 significantly outperformed the reference mix. In mortar, the use of biochar could reduce capillary absorption. In addition, its inclusion fastens the rate of hydration of the cement and prevents shrinkage cracks in the mix. The current study concentrates on the significant features of biochar and sludge ash that have an impact on cementitious materials performance. The fresh as well as hardened properties of various concrete and mortar mixes after the replacement of cement with biochar and sludge ash components have been extensively reviewed based on the research results. In a nutshell, biochar and sludge ash materials are an excellent alternative for cement in construction.