Performance appraisal of palm oil clinker as cement and sand replacement materials in foamed concrete / Farhang Salari

Farhang , Salari (2024) Performance appraisal of palm oil clinker as cement and sand replacement materials in foamed concrete / Farhang Salari. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

The construction industry's ecological impact and resource depletion are intensified by unregulated mining activities, particularly in concrete production. The prevalent use of concrete in infrastructure projects exacerbates sand extraction from riverbeds, jeopardizing ecosystems and resource availability. The responsible disposal of industrial and construction waste remains a pressing challenge. Efforts in engineering are directed towards sustainability by integrating "green and recycled materials" into concrete production. Notably, Malaysia and Indonesia stand out as primary cultivators of oil palm trees on a significant scale. The expansion of oil palm plantations correlates with a surge in solid waste arising from palm oil production in mills. Palm oil clinker (POC) emerges as a by-product resulting from the incineration of palm oil fiber and shells in hightemperature boilers. This study delves into the feasibility of substituting natural mining sand with POC, a potentially sustainable material, in lightweight foamed concrete (LWFC) at varying replacement ratios: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. Leveraging POC's porous nature, a volume-based approach employs specific gravities to produce LWFC with target densities of 1100 kg/m3, 1300 kg/m3, and 1500 kg/m3. Additionally, the study examines the potential of POC powder (POCP) at replacement levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% for cement. Furthermore, it explores the effects of thermally activated POCP in creating TPOCP on the mechanical and durability attributes of LWFC. The central aim is to evaluate POC's viability as a partial or complete substitute for mining sand, and the feasibility of POCP (or TPOCP) as a non-traditional cement replacement. While a minor enhancement in strength was observed when replacing 20% of OPC mass with POCP, a significant decrease in strength was evident across all time intervals when 30% of OPC was replaced with POCP. The reductions reached approximately 10%, 25%, 19.5%, and 20% at 7, 28, 75, and 90 days, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the optimal replacement ratio for TPOCP was determined to be 20%. Various sieve sizes (less than 4.75 mm, 2.36 mm, and 0.6 mm) are considered. The study encompasses concrete properties analysis, including water absorption, porosity, and mechanical features such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity (MOE), benchmarked against conventional concrete. The most substantial MOE increase, reaching 45.54%, occurred when mining sand was entirely replaced with POC. Furthermore, the study investigates the impacts of aggressive chemicals and elevated temperatures on the durability of foamed concrete incorporating POC as mining sand replacement and POCP (or TPOCP) as non-conventional supplementary cementitious material. The analysis is complemented by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests. The outcomes suggest that complete mining sand replacement with POC and 20% OPC replacement with POCP (or TPOCP) can enhance the mechanical and durability properties of the produced LWFC. Moreover, thermal activation of POCP yields favorable effects. The study's insights equip engineers with a deeper comprehension of LWFC behavior, fostering the practical creation of environmentally friendly LWFC. Additionally, it contributes novel insights into LWFC's durability under aggressive chemical conditions with a ternary binder. These findings furnish valuable guidance for the production of innovative and ecologically responsible LWFC with robust acid resistance.

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