The Effects of Partial Replacement of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag by Ground Wood Ash on Alkali-Activated Binder Systems

Ece Ezgi Teker Ercan; Andrzej Cwirzen; Karin Habermehl-Cwirzen

doi:10.3390/ma16155347

The Effects of Partial Replacement of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag by Ground Wood Ash on Alkali-Activated Binder Systems

Materials (Basel). 2023 Jul 29;16(15):5347. doi: 10.3390/ma16155347.

Authors

Ece Ezgi Teker Ercan¹, Andrzej Cwirzen¹, Karin Habermehl-Cwirzen¹

Affiliation

¹ Building Materials, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden.

Abstract

Cement production contributes significantly to carbon dioxide emissions. Alkali-activated materials offer an environmentally friendly alternative due to their comparable strength, durability and low-carbon emissions while utilizing wastes and industrial by-products. Wood ash is a waste material that shows promising results as a partial replacement for Portland cement and precursors in alkali-activated systems. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ground wood ash on the mechanical properties of alkali-activated mortars. Wood ash was incorporated as a 0 wt%, 10 wt% and 20 wt% partial replacement for ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). The wood ashes were ground in a planetary ball mill for 10 and 20 min. Sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃), sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃), and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were used as alkali activators. The results demonstrated that ground wood ash improved the mechanical properties of alkali-activated systems compared to untreated wood ash. However, the incorporation of wood ash increased the porosity of the binder matrix.

Keywords: alkali-activated; ball mill; grinding; ground granulated blast furnace slag; isothermal calorimetry; mortar; wood ash; wood fly ash.

Grants and funding

The authors are thankful for the financial support of this research by the Development Fund of the Swedish Construction Industry (SBUF), Skanska, and LTU Creaternity.